Course:

Power Electronics
Book:
Power Electronics
Devices, Circuits, and Applications
Forth- Edition
Muhammad H. Rashid
Instructor:
Engr. Naveed Ashraf
Chapter No.2
Lecture No.3
 Power Diodes
• Power diodes play a significant role in power
conversion.
• A diode operates as a switch to perform various
functions such as switches in rectifiers, freewheeling
in the switching regulators and transfer the energy
between the components etc.
• Power diodes have high voltage and current ratting
as that of ordinary diodes.
• But the switching speed is low as that of ordinary
diodes.
• Power diode is also called uncontrolled switch.
 Terminal and Switching Characteristics of a Power
• Power diodes is two terminal uncontrolled device.

• It is forward biased once its anode voltage is greater

than its cathode voltage.
• In this mode diode conducts load current with small
forward voltage drops.
• When the anode voltage is less than the cathode
voltage, then the diode is said to be operated in
reverse bias mode.
 Terminal and Switching Characteristics of a Power
• A small reverse (Leakage) current in the range of
micro or milliampere flows.
• This current slowly increases in magnitude with
reverse voltage until Zener or avalanche voltage is
reached.
 Terminal and Switching Characteristics of a Power
• There are three operating region.
1. Forward biased region.
2. Reverse biased region.
3. Break down region.
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics
• The current in a forward-biased junction diode is
due to the net effect of majority and minority
carriers.
• Once the anode current in forward biased region is
decreased to zero through the natural behavior
(application of reverse voltage).
• The diode continue to conduct due to present of
minority in pn-junction and bulk semiconductor
material.
• The minority carriers require a certain time to
recombine with opposite carrier and to be
neutralized.
• This time in diodes is called reverse recovery time.
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics
• The diode can only withstand reverse voltage once
the reverse recovery process is completed.

• The times ta and tb is due to charges stored in

junction and bulk semiconductor materials.
• The ratio of tb to ta is called softness factor.
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics
• The reverse recovery time (trr) and peak reverse
current (IRR) can be expressed as.
  𝑑𝑖
𝑡 𝑟𝑟 =𝑡 𝑎 +𝑡 𝑏
  𝐼 𝑅𝑅 =𝑡 𝑎
𝑑𝑡
• Reverse recovery time may be defined as the time
interval between the instant the current passes
through zero during the changeover from forward
conduction to reverse blocking condition and the
movement the reverse current has decayed to 25%
of its peak reverse value.
• The reverse recovery time depends on junction
temperature, rate of change of forward current and
forward current prior to commutation.
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics
• There is flow of reverse charge carriers the junction
due to the changeover from forward conduction to
reverse blocking condition.
• That charge is called reverse recovery charge and it is
equal to
 𝑄 =𝑄 +𝑄
𝑟𝑟 𝑎 𝑏
 +

  1
𝑄 𝑅𝑅 = 𝐼 𝑅𝑅 𝑡 𝑟𝑟
2
  2 𝑄 𝑅𝑅
𝐼 𝑅𝑅 =
𝑡 𝑟𝑟
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics
• By comparing the value of IRR from following
equations, we have
  𝑑𝑖   2 𝑄 𝑅𝑅
𝐼 𝑅𝑅 =𝑡 𝑎 𝐼 𝑅𝑅 =
𝑑𝑡 𝑡 𝑟𝑟
  2 𝑄 𝑅𝑅
𝑡 𝑎 𝑡 𝑟𝑟 =
𝑑𝑖 / 𝑑𝑡
• By neglecting tb as compare to ta , we have
 
2 𝑄𝑅𝑅
√
𝑡 𝑟 𝑟=
𝑑𝑖/𝑑𝑡
𝐼 𝑅 𝑅 =√ 2 𝑄𝑅𝑅 𝑑𝑖/𝑑𝑡
 
 Types of Diodes
• Following are the three basic types of the diodes.
1. General Purpose Diodes.
2. Fast Recovery Diodes.
3. Schottky Diodes.
1. General Purpose Diodes.
• They are used for high power applications.
• Their voltage and current ratting can go up to 1500
V and 400 A respectively.
• Their reverse recovery time is high and its typical
value is 25 μs.
• Their typical frequency may go up to 1 kHz.
 Types of Diodes
2. Fast Recovery Diodes.
• They have low reverse recovery time, normally less
than 5 μs.
• They are extensively used in dc-to-dc and dc to ac
converters where the speed is critical important.
3. Schottky Diodes
• The charge storage problem of a pn-junction can be
minimized in Schottky diode.
• It is accomplished by setting up a barrier potential
with a contact between a metal and semiconductor.
• The rectifying action depends on the majority
carriers as there is no movement of minority carries.
 Types of Diodes
• Their reverse recovery time may be in nano seconds
as there is no excess minority carriers to recombine.
• The recovery effect is only due to the self
capacitance of the semiconductor junction.
• But the leakage current of a Schottky diode is higher
as that of a pn-junction diode.
• A Schottky diode with low conduction voltage has
high leakage current.
• As a result, the maximum allowable voltage is
generally limited to 100 V.
• Its current ratting vary from 1 A to 400 A. So they are
in high current low voltage power supplies.
 Questions-Answers

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