CHARACTERISTICS OF P-N JUNCTION DIODE

Aim: To study the I-V characteristics of a p-n junction diode

Apparatus: Power Supply (0-30V), Voltmeter (0-30V), Ammeter (A & mA range),

resistors, p-n junction diode

Theory: A P-N junction diode which is shown in Fig.1 (a) is known as Semiconductor diode
or crystal diode. It offers zero resistance to the flow of electricity when it is forward biased
(ideal condition) and offers infinite resistance when it is reverse biased.

Forward bias: When N-type semiconductor is connected to negative terminal and P-type is
positive terminal of battery, then diode is said to be connected in forward bias. Circuit
diagram is shown in Fig.1.

Fig.1: a) A p-n diode b) Forward Biased diode

Reverse bias: When N-type semiconductor is connected to positive terminal and P-type is
negative terminal of battery, then diode is said to be connected in Reverse bias. The circuit
diagram is shown in Fig.2.

Fig:2 Reverse Biased diode

Procedure:

Connect the circuit shown as in Fig.1. Record the voltage across the diode (V) and current (I)
through it as a function of input voltage. Take minimum of 10-15 readings and tabulate the
readings in Table.1. Repeat the experiment for the reverse biased diode with the circuit as
shown in Fig.2 and tabulate the readings.
Graph: Plot the graph with V on x-axis and I on Y-axis. Model graph for the current versus
voltage for a junction diode is shown in Fig.3. Observe the nearly constant voltage in the
breakdown region. As the current in the reverse bias is very small, it can be plotted in micro-
volts in the graph for the sake of clarity.

Fig 3: V-I characteristics of p-n junction diode

Table.1: To study the forward and reverse bias characteristics of a diode.

Forward bias Reverse bias

S.No. Current I (mA) Voltage V Current I (mA) Voltage V
(volts) (volts)

Result: The V-I characteristics of a p-n junction diode have been studied.

Viva

1. Compare between the Si & Ge diode. Which is has the better forward characteristics?
2. What is the barrier field and how is it produce?
3. What are the significant uses of a diode in electronics?