UNIT-IV

SPECIAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

1. Compare pn junction diode and schottky diode.
Pn-junction diode
Consist of both majority and minority
carriers.
Junction is of semiconductor to
semiconductor.
Switching speed is less.
Reverse recovery time is more.
Breakdown voltage is more
Frequency range can be used upto
10MHz.
Applications: rectifiers, clippers,
clampers.

Schottky diode
Consist of only majority carriers.
Junction is of semiconductor to metal.
Switching speed is high.
Reverse recovery time is less.
Breakdown voltage is less.
Frequency range is very high. Can be used
more than 300 MHz.
Applications: digital computers, mixers, radar
system, schottky TTL logic.

Symbol:
Symbol:
2. Compare Pn-diode and zener diode.
Pn-diode
Operated in forward biased condition.
The diode resistance in reverse biased
condition is very high.
The power dissipation capability is very
low.

Zener diode
Operated in reverse biased condition
Zener resistance is very small in reverse
breakdown condition.
The power dissipation capability is very high.

Symbol:
VI characteristics:

Symbol:

Applications: rectifiers, clippers,

clampers, voltage multipliers.

Application: voltage regulator, voltage

limiters, protection circuits.

VI characteristics:

3. Define zener breakdown.

When a pn junction is heavily doped the depletion region is very narrow. So under
reverse bias conditions, the electric field across the depletion layer is very intense. Such an
intense field is enough to pull the electrons out of the valence bands of the stable atoms. Such a
creation of free electrons is called zener effect. These minority carriers constitute very large
current to cause breakdown and this mechanism is called zener breakdown.
4. Define Avalanche breakdown.
When reverse voltage is increased, the velocity of minority charge carriers increases. The
highly accelerated charge carriers collides against electrons and breaks the covalent bond and
creates new electron-hole pair. Now these two charges again gets sufficient velocity and again
collide with the electrons in covalent bonds and bring them out. Due to this multiplication process
a large current flows and this leads to the breakdown of junction. Such a breakdown is called
avalanche breakdown. Once this breakdown occurs the diode gets damaged.
5. Compare Zener breakdown and Avalanche breakdown.
Zener Breakdown
Zener breakdown is due to the intense
electric field across the junction.

Occurs for zeners with zener voltage less

than 6V.
The temperature coefficient is negative.
The breakdown voltage decreases as
junction temperature increases.

Avalanche Breakdown
Avalanche breakdown is due to the collision
of accelerated charge carriers with the
valence electron in covalent bond and due to
carrier multiplication.
Occurs for zeners with zener voltage greater
than 6V.
The temperature coefficient is positive.
The breakdown voltage increases as junction
temperature increases.

6. Define electron affinity.

It is defined as the amount of energy released when an electron is added to a neutral atom
to form a negative ion.
7. Define work function for a material.
It is defined as the amount of minimum energy required to remove an electron from a
material to a point in the vacuum immediately outside the material surface.
8. Write the expression for space charge region width in metal-semiconductor junction.

W=

2 s (V biV R )
eNd

Where, VR- magnitude of the applied reverse-bias voltage

Vbi-built-in potential barriers
s- permittivity of the semiconductor

e- Electronic charges.
9. What are the two types of Metal-semiconductor junction?
Schottky barrier (Rectifying contact)- It is established by depositing a metal such as tungsten on
an n-type material.
Ohmic contact- It represent the junction of lead with lead.
10.

State the applications of metal-semiconductor junction.

Used as microwave diodes.
Used as ohmic contacts in many electronic devices.
Used as shunt diodes to reduce switching transients.
Used in MESFETs.
Used in ultraviolet detectors.

11. What is MESFET?

Metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) is a kind of FET in which the
metal contact (gate) is directly connected to n-type channel. Insulating layer is absent in
MESFET.
The absence of an insulating layer, resulting in reduced distance between the metal
surface of the gate and semiconductor layer, resulting in a lower level of stray capacitance
between the two surfaces. Because of low stray capacitance mobility of charge carriers are more
in MESFET.
12.

What are the features of MESFET?

Mobility of electrons is very high.
Since the transit time is small, response is very fast.
Can be operated at very high frequencies because of very short channel length.
Parasitic capacitance is small.
The fabrication process is simple.

13. What is the advantage of enhancement mode MESFET?

The advantage is that circuits can be designed in which the voltage polarity on the gate
and drain is the same.
14. What is Schottky diode?
A schottky diode is formed by joining a doped semiconductor region with a metal such as
gold, silver or platinum. Rather than a pn-junction there is a metal to semiconductor junction. The
forward voltage drop is typically around 0.3 V.
15. What are hot carriers?
In schottky diode, electrons are the majority carriers of n-type semiconductor and the
metal when the materials are joined, the electrons in the n-type semiconductor material
immediately flow into the adjoining metal, establishing a heavy flow of majority carriers. Since
the injected carriers have a very high kinetic energy level compared to the electrons of the metal
they are commonly called as Hot carriers.
16. What are the advantages of schottky diode?

 Low turn on voltage.

Low junction capacitance.
Fast recovery time.
17. List the applications of Schottky diode.
Used in RF mixer and detector diode.
Used in digital computers, high speed TTL, radar systems, analog to digital converters because of
its fast switching characteristics.
Used as a clamp diode in a transistor circuit to speed the operation when used as a switch.
18. Compare the characteristics of pn diode and schottky diode.

19. Name the breakdown mechanisms in zener diodes.

Avalanche breakdown
Zener breakdown
20.

What are the applications of zener diode?

Voltage regulator
Clippers in wave-shaping circuits.
As a reference voltage in comparator circuits.
For controlling the output amplitude.

21. What is varactor diode?

A varactor diode is a specially manufactured reverse biased PN junction diode with a
suitable impurity concentration. It is also called as varicap or voltacap. It is used as a variable
reactance capacitance.
22. What are the features of varactor diode?
When reverse biased, the varactor diode shows a dominant transition capacitance. This
capacitance decreases as reverse voltage increases. Thus varactor diode shows voltage variable
capacitance characteristic when reverse biased.
23.

What are the applications of varactor diode?

Used as a tuning device in receivers.
Used in FM modulation.
Used in adjustable bandpass filters.

 Used in automatic frequency control devices.

Used in parametric amplifiers.
Used in television receivers.
24. What is tunnel diode?
The tunnel or Esaki diode is a thin junction diode which exhibits negative resistance
under low forward bias conditions.
25. What is tunneling?
In tunnel diode, p and n regions are very heavily doped. Due to this, width of the
depletion region reduces considerably. Hence, electrons can easily penetrate the depletion region
due to their high kinetic energy. This penetration of electrons through the depletion region due to
high velocities is called tunneling.
26.

What are the advantages of tunnel diode?

Low cost
Low noise
Low power consumption
High speed
Peak point is not sensitive function of temperature.

27. What are the drawbacks/ disadvantage of tunnel diode?

No isolation between input and output as it is a two-terminal device.
It can be operated only around IV or lesser.
28.

What are the applications of tunnel diode?

Ultra high speed switch
In relaxation oscillator
As microwave oscillator
In switching networks
As logic memory storage device.

29. Compare tunnel diode and pn-junction diode

Tunnel diode
Doping levels are very high.
Impurity concentration is high about
1 part in 103 atoms
Depletion region width is very small.
Majority carrier current responds
much faster to voltage changes- suitable
to microwaves.
The carrier velocities are very high at
low forward bias, hence can punch
through the depletion region.
It has negative resistance
characteristics- useful for relaxation

Pn-junction diode
Doping level is very normal.
Impurity concentration is low about 1 part in
108 atoms
Depletion region width is high compared to
tunnel diode.
Majority carrier current does not respond so
fast to voltage changes- suitable for low
frequency applications.
The carrier velocities are low at low forward
bias, hence cannot penetrate the depletion
region.
It does not have negative resistance
characteristics- useful for detectors and

oscillator.
Preferred semiconductors are Ge and
GaAs.
Switching time is very low.
It is a low noise device.
Used for high speed applications and
high frequency oscillators.

mixers.
Preferred semiconductors are Ge and Si.
Switching time is high.
Moderate noise characteristics.
Used in rectifiers, clippers, clampers and
voltage multipliers.

30. What is GaAs?

It is a semiconductor compound formed by the combination of 3 rd group gallium element
and 4 group Arsenide element. GaAs materials are mostly useful for the fabrication of high
speed electronic devices.
th

31.

Mention the properties of GaAs?

High electron mobility.
High electron drift velocity
Stable schottky barrier height at room temperature.
Existence of thermally stable semi-insulating substrates.
Ability to form a variety of hetero-junction on these materials

32. Give the applications of GaAs?

Used in the manufacture of LEDs which are found in optical communication and control
systems.
Used in manufacture of linear ICs and digital ICs.
Used in the manufacture of gunn diodes for the generation of microwave.
33. What is Laser?
Laser is Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser is a source of
highly directional monochromatic coherent light. The light from laser may be continuous or
bursts of high intensity carrying millions of watts.
34. What are the materials used for laser diode?
GaAs, AlGaAs, GaAsP.
35. What are the applications of laser diode?
CD players, optical discs, laser printers, fiber communication, broadband communication,
medical and defense industries.
36.

What are the losses in laser?

Due to free electron absorption
Scattering of electrons
In homogenetics
Non-radioactive transition.

37. What is LDR?

LDR is known as Light Dependent Resistor whose resistance decreases with increasing
incident light intensity.
38.

What are the applications of LDR?

Used in infrared astronomy and spectroscopy.
Used in photographic light meters, automatic light circuits, light interruption detectors.
Used in camera lights, clocks, street lights, security alarms, etc.
Used in sensitive light operated relays.