Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.

Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage

Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

Experiment - 1

PN - junction Diode Characteristics

1-1 Object:

The student knows the characteristics of PN-junction at direct and

reverse bias, and to find the I-V characteristics of diode.

1-2 Theory:

1-2-1 : Semiconductor Material:

A pure silicon crystal is known as intrinsic semiconductor. This type

of material does not conduct the electrical current when they are in
presence of an electrical field. There is only electron movement at high
temperatures when electron-hole pairs are generated by thermal agitation.

The ipurification consists of adding impurity atoms to the crystal, to

increase either its number of free electrons or holes. When a crystal has
been impured, it is called extrinsic semiconductor.

1-2-2: N-type semiconductor:

To obtain additional electrons in the conduction band of the atom,

some atoms are added, which have 5 electrons in the valence orbit. This
means that there is an electron, which does not form part of the bond,
which is "superfluous", and it is displaced to the called conduction band.

In this case, the electrons are which cause that this material type will
be capable of conducting current. It is said that the electrons are Majoraty
carriers and the holes are the minority ones. Being N the abbreviation to
negative word.

1-2-3: P-type semiconductor:

A crystal can be made impure in order to have holes in excess using

impurities those which only have three electrons in their external orbit.
As each trivalent atom provides just three electrons of its valence orbit,
only seven electrons will move in this orbit. In other words, a hole
appears in each one of these atoms. The holes are the majority carriers in

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Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

the P-type semiconductor, while the electrons in conduction band are the
minority carriers. The letter P means positive.

1-2-4: The Diode:

It is possible to produce a crystal that has one half of the P-type and
the other half of the N-type. Such a PN crystal is usually known with the
name of diode.

1-2-5: Barrier layer:

After joining one P-type crystal and another N-type, a cover is

created in the contacting zone which works as a barrier for the subsequent
free electrons diffusion through the junction. This cover is called of
depletion, and the potential difference that is created there is called
potential barrier. This potential barrier at 25o C, is equal to 0.7 V for
silicon diodes (0.3 V for Ge).

1-2-6: Direct Polarization:

When we connect the positive terminal of a source to the P-type

material of one diode, and the negative terminal to the N-type material,
the connection is called direct polarization. The direct polarization
produces a high current.

Figure 1-1 Forward base PN junction

The sequence of one electron in figure (1-1) from the moment when
it moves from the negative terminal of the battery to the positive terminal
is the following:

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Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

1. After leaving the negative terminal, it enters through the n-

side.
2. It travels through the n-region as a free electron.
3. Near the junction, it combines with holes and is converted in a
valance electron.
4. It travels through the P-region as a valence electron.
5. After leaving the side of the crystal, it flows towards the
positive terminal of battery.

1-2-7: Inverse Polarization:

If the polarity of the DC power supply is inverted, it applied inverse

polarization to the diode as indicated in figure (1-2).

There is a small current in the circuit due to the minority carriers and
to the surface impurities, called inverse current (IR).

If the inverse voltage is increased much, there is a point when we

reach to a breakdown voltage in the diode, in which the diode begins to
conduct.

Figure 1-2 Reverse base PN junction

1-2-8: graphics of the diode:

Figure (1-3) shows the diagrammatic symbol of a rectifier diode.

The P-side is called anode, and the N-side is called cathode. The diode
symbol arrow indicates the most common direction, that is to say, the one

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Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

of conventional current. In a commercial diode, the cathode usually has a

mark in the encapsulation to identify it.

Figure 1-3 Graphic of diode

1-2-9 : I-V characteristics of diode:

The figure (1-4) shows a simple circuit, which can used for the
voltage and current measurement of diode. We can measure the diode
current by connect an ammeter in series with diode, and to measure the
diode voltage we can connect a voltmeter in parallel with diode.

Figure 1-4 Current and voltage measurement

With the source polarities indicated, the diode remains with direct
polarization; the bigger the applied voltage of the source is, the bigger
diode current is. With the change of the source voltage, we can measure
the diode current and the diode voltage. Representing in a graphic the

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Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

current, which flows through the diode as contrasts with the applied
voltage we can obtain figure (1-5).

Figure 1-5 I-V characteristics of diode

When direct polarization is applied, the diode does not conduct until
the barrier potential is obtained. For this reason, the current is small as it
gets close to the barrier (about 0.7V for silicon diode). Above 0.7V, small
voltage increase produces a great current growth.

The voltage at which the current starts to increase quickly is called

compensation voltage. For a Silicon diode, this voltage is equal to the
barrier potential, about 0.7V (for Ge 0.3V)

In the case of inverse polarization of the diode an extremely small

inverse current (some times called leakage current) is obtained. If the
inverse voltage I is increased enough, we will arrive to breakdown
voltage of diode (VB) which is reaches in some diodes to some hundred
volts. So that, the rectifier diode must always operate below the
breakdown voltage.

There are two way to destroy a diode, one way is by increase the
inverse breakdown voltage. And the other is to exceed the nominal
maximum power. Each device has power dissipation (IDVD). if this power
dissipation is very high, the device is burnt.

MD
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

Sometimes, the page of technical information defined two types of

diode, small signal diodes (those with a nominal power smaller than
0.5W), and rectifier diode or power diodes (those with a nominal power
bigger than 0.5W).

From the previous analysis we can deduced the reason of using

always a resistor in series with the diode to limit the current.

1-3 Procedure:

1. Connect the circuit shown in figure (1-6) to make the diode in

direct polarization.

Figure 1-6, Connection of diode

2. The ammeter is connected in series with diode to measure the

diode current ID. And voltmeter in parallel with diode to measure
the diode voltage VD.

3. You have to use a small output voltage DC source to recognize

semiconductor material type of diode, and find I-V
characteristics.

4. Starts changing the voltage applied to diode, from (0V) to

(0.85V) by steps and record the value of diode current and
voltage in each step, and fill in table 1-1.

MD
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

5. Measure the diode resistor at forward biasing state with voltages

less then Vd of diode.

Table 1-1
VS (V) ID (A) VD (V) RD (Ω)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.85

6. To find I-V characteristics at forward bais, when diode voltage

applied on diode is exceed Vd (0.7 V for Si, 0.3 V Ge), you have
to use output voltage DC supply with higher voltages.

7. Starts changing the voltage applied to diode, from (+1 V) to

(+ 6 V) by steps and record the value of diode current and voltage
in each step, and fill in table 1-2. And then calculate the diode
resistance at high forward voltages.

Table 1-2
VS (V) ID (A) VD (V) RD (Ω)
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6

8. To measure I-V characteristics of diode at reverse bais, you have

to inverse voltage DC source polarity, and connect negative
terminal to P- type and positive terminal to N- type.

9. Starts changing the voltage applied to diode, from (-1 V) to

(- 6 V) by steps and record the value of diode current and voltage

MD
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

in each step, and fill in table 1-3. And then calculate the diode
resistance at high forward voltages.

Table 1-3
VS (V) ID (A) VD (V) RD (Ω)
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6

1-4 Discussion:

1. Why the diode resistor is different from forward biasing to

reverse biasing?

2. With the data of tables 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, draw the I-V
characteristics of diode.

3. How we can find the polarity of a diode and make sure that it has
not been damaged.

4. What are the main advantages of the resistor connected in series

with diode?

5. What will happened to diode if you exceed the peak inverse

voltage PIV?

6. Why the diode current is very low at source voltages less than Vd
(0.7V Si, 0.3 V Ge) of diode?

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