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Power Diode Notes

Power Diode nots
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214 views5 pages

Power Diode Notes

Power Diode nots
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Power Diode

It is diode handling a more capacity of power than the normal pn junction diode.

● The simplest semiconductor device is a power diode having only two layers (P and N),
two terminals (namely anode A and cathode K) and one junction. The symbol of the
power diode is the same as the PN junction diode.
● It is called power diode because it is used in high power circuits.(circuits with high supply
voltage or current)
Basic Structure
● Power diode is similar to the PN junction diode but has a small difference in its
construction. The doping level of both P and N sides is the same and we get the PN
junction formed.
● But in power diodes we have a junction formed between a heavily doped P+ and a lightly
doped N- layer which is epitaxially grown on a heavily doped N+ substrate (cathode). A
heavily doped layer P+ is diffused into the N- layer to form the anode. The basic
structure shown below in Fig. 1.7.2.

● The N- drift region thickness determines the reverse breakdown voltage of the diode. For
higher breakdown voltages, the drift region is wide. Its function is to absorb the depletion
layer of the reverse biased P+ N- junction.
● N- Layer will add significant ohmic resistance to the diode when it is forward biased
because it is lightly doped. As the N- layer is lightly doped nearly intrinsic, this layer is
also called as i-layer and the device can be called PIN diode.
Working of Power Diode

Effect of forward blas


● The forward bias is applied by connecting positive terminal of a battery to P-type material
and negative terminal to N-type material shown in fig. 1.7.3 (a).
● The excess P type carriers from anode are injected into the N- epitaxial layer when the
power diode is forward bias. At high level of injection, these excess P type carriers will
reach the N- N+ junction and attracts the electrons from the cathode i.e. N+ region. Now
the electrons are injected into the drift region.
● Excess P type carriers from anode and excess N type carriers from cathode defuse and
recombine in the Nº epitaxial drift region. This will increases the conductivity in drift
region and decreases the width of depletion region.

fig1.forward bias. fig2. reverse bias

Effect of reversed blas


● The reversed bias is applied by connecting positive terminal of battery to N-type
material and negative terminal to P-type material shown in Fig. 1.7.3 (b)
● This polarity of connection causes excess P type carriers from anode and excess
N type carriers from cathode to move away from a junction, therefore increases
the depletion region and conductivity becomes zero.
● A Power diode also does not conduct when reverse biased like the PN junction
diode. Only a very small amount of reverse leakage current flows in the reverse
direction due to electron hole pair of the intrinsic materials.
Characteristics of Power diode

There are two types of characteristics of a power diode:


a. VI characteristics
b. Reverse-recovery characteristics (turn off characteristics)
VI Characteristics

● I-V (Amp-Volt) characteristics of a power diode are same as that of PN junction diode as
shown below. Cut-in voltage (knee voltage) of PN junction diode is 0.7 V while in power
diode it is 1 V.
Reverse Recovery or Turn off characteristics

● Reverse recovery characteristic of a power diode is as shown in Fig. 1.7.4 (b).


● As shown in figure, the forward current collapses from IP to zero whenever the diode is
switched off and further continues in reverse direction because of the charges stored in
the drift region and the semiconductor region. This reverse current obtained a peak IRR
and again start approaching zero value and finally the diode is off after time trr.
● Time trr is defined as reverse recovery time. It is defined as time between the instant
forward current reaches zero and the instant the reverse current collapses to 25 % of its
reverse peak value IRR (reverse recovery current).
● From the figure we can say that trr = t1 + t2 where t1 → time when charge from depletion
region is removed and t2 → time when charge from semiconductor region is removed.

Types of Power Diode

Power diodes are classified into three major categories which are a
follows:
● General purpose diode
● Fast recovery diodes
● Schottky diodes

Power Diode Applications

Power diodes are used


● As a rectifier diode
● As a voltage multiplier
● As a freewheeling Diode
● For voltage clamping
● For high speed switching applications

Power diodes

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