TUTORIAL 2(semiconductor diode)

BASIC ELECTRONICS (EC21101, Sec 3)

Session 2016 17, Spring Semester

1) Determine the dc resistance for the diode of Fig. 1 at (a) ID= 2 mA (b) ID= 20 mA (c) VD= -10 V

Figure 1

2) From the characteristics of Fig.2, determine the ac resistance at ID=2mA and 25 mA.

Figure 2

3) (a) Referring to Fig. 3, determine the

junction capacitance at reverse-bias
potentials of -25 and -10 V. What is
the ratio of the change in capacitance
to the change in voltage?
(b) Repeat part (a) for reverse-bias
potentials of -10 and -1 V.
Determine the ratio of the change in
capacitance to the change in voltage.
Figure 3

4) Referring to Fig.3, determine the diffusion capacitance at 0 and 0.25 V.

5) Determine the reactance offered by a diode described by the characteristics of Fig.3 at a
forward bias of 0.2 V and a reverse bias of -20 V if the applied frequency is 6 MHz.
6) In a silicon sample the electron concentration drops linearly from 1018 cm-3 to 1016 cm-3 over a
length of 2 m . Calculate the electron diffusion current density .(Dn=35 cm2/s, Charge of an
electron = 1.6 10 19 C .)

7) A semiconductor has the following parameter: Electron and hole mobility ratios n / p to be
1350/480,Charge of an electron = 1.6 10 19 C and ni= 1.5 1010 cm 3 ..Calculate the hole
concentration when the conductivity is minimum.
8) A silicon semiconductor material is to be designed such that the majority carrier electron
concentration is n0=7*1015 cm-3. Should donor or acceptor impurity atoms be added to intrinsic
silicon to achieve this electron concentration? What concentration of dopant impurity is required?
9) The applied electric field in a p-type silicon is E=15 v/cm. The semiconductor conductivity is 2.2
(ohm-cm)-1 and the cross-sectional area is 10-4 cm2. Determine the drift current in the
semiconductor.
10) Consider the zener diode circuit shown in fig.4. The zener breakdown voltage is Vz=5.6 V at Iz=
0.1 mA and the incremental Zener resistance is rz=10 . (a) Determine VO with no load. (b) Find
VO if RL= 2 K.

Figure 4

11) A voltage regulator consists of a 6.8 V Zener diode in series with a 200 resistor and a 9 V
power supply. Neglecting rz , calculate the diode current and the power dissipation in the zener. If
the power supply voltage is increased to 12 V, calculate the percentage increase in diode current
and power dissipation.
12) Determine ID,VD2,VO for the circuit of figure5.

Figure 5

13)

Calculate the junction capacitance of a silicon pn junction. Assume T = 300K,

N A 1016 / cm3 ,

N D 1015 / cm3 , supply voltage VD 5V (reverse bias), junction

capacitance at 0V = 0.5 pF, ni= 1.5 1010 cm 3 .

14) In an experiment with a Si bar, it is desired to obtain equal amount of electron and hole
drift currents . How should the carrier densities be chosen? (Find the answer in terms of
intrinsic carrier concentration). Assume electron and hole mobility ratios n / p to be
1350/480.
15)
0.5 mA

D1
R1

1 mA

D2

In the circuit shown above, determine the value of R1 . Assume I S 5 10 16 A for each
diode.
16)

Given Vi 20V , Vz 10V , Ri 222 and Pz (max) 400mW . Determine I L , I z and I i if

RL 380 .
17) The hole concentration in silicon is given by

px 10 4 1015 exp x / L p , x 0

The value of L p is 10 m . The hole diffusion coefficient is D p 15 cm 2 / s . Determine the

hole diffusion current density at a) x = 0, b) x 10 m and x 30 m .
Charge of an electron = 1.6 10 19 C .

18)

A silicon pn junction at T = 300K is doped with N D 1016 cm 3 and N A 1017 cm 3 .

The junction capacitance is to be C j 0.8 pF when a reverse bias of 5V is applied. Find
the zero biased junction capacitance. Assume VT 26 mV , T = 300K, intrinsic carrier
concentration of Si ni at 300K 1.5 1010 cm 3 .

19)

A sample of silicon at T = 300K is doped with N D 8 1015 cm 3 . a) Calculate n0 and

p0 . b) If excess holes and electrons are generated such that their respective concentrations
are n p 1014 cm 3 , determine the new concentrations of hole and electrons. Intrinsic
carrier concentration of Silicon ni at T = 300K is 1.5 1010 cm 3 . What is the product of
2

the new electron and hole concentration? Is it equal to ni ? Explain.

20)
RS

220

V1

RL

The zener diode has PDmax 220 mW , Rz 0 and Vz 6V . The input voltage V1 may vary
from 9V to 12V. Calculate the minimum value of RS that might be used to avoid any diode
burnout.