Name: diode reverse current and breakdown
Uploaded: 2024-07-08T13:20:19.000Z
Duration: 1 min 14 s
Channel: JoVE

Um diodo é polarizado reversamente quando sua região do tipo n é conectada ao terminal positivo da tensão de alimentação e sua região do tipo p é conectada ao terminal negativo.
Em tensões de polarização reversa mais baixas, a pequena corrente de fuga através do diodo é principalmente devido a portadoras minoritárias, e a curva IV nesta região é quase plana.
À medida que a tensão de polarização reversa aumenta além de uma tensão limite, conhecida como tensão de ruptura ou tensão de joelho, um aumento acentuado na corrente é observado para uma pequena variação na tensão.
Em diodos fortemente dopados em altas tensões reversas, o campo elétrico através da região de depleção é forte o suficiente para que os elétrons de valência se libertem de suas ligações. Isso cria pares de elétrons-buracos, resultando em um aumento significativo na corrente.
Em diodos levemente dopados, altas tensões reversas aceleram as portadoras minoritárias em toda a região de depleção. Eles colidem com átomos, criando pares adicionais de elétrons-buracos. Esse processo se espalha, levando a um rápido aumento da corrente.
Em diodos levemente dopados, a corrente aumenta gradualmente em comparação com os diodos fortemente dopados.

diodo: polarização reversa

Um diodo é polarizado reversamente quando o terminal positivo de uma fonte de tensão externa é conectado ao material do tipo n e o terminal negativo ao material do tipo p. Esta configuração se opõe à direção natural do fluxo de corrente através do diodo, aumentando efetivamente a largura da região de depleção e o potencial de barreira. A condição de polarização reversa produz uma corrente de fuga mínima, principalmente devido aos portadores de carga minoritários. Esse vazamento se torna significativo quando a tensão reversa ultrapassa a tensão térmica em condições ambientes padrão, levando a uma curva de resposta de corrente-tensão (I-V) achatada. Ao contrário do aumento exponencial da corrente observado na polarização direta, o aumento na polarização reversa é insignificante.
No entanto, na prática, a corrente reversa nos diodos muitas vezes excede a corrente de saturação prevista. Por exemplo, diodos projetados para pequenos sinais com correntes de saturação reversa de nível de femtoampere podem exibir correntes reversas de nível de nanoampere. Embora esta corrente reversa aumente ligeiramente com a tensão reversa, essas mudanças são muito pequenas para afetar visivelmente a curva I-V. Esta corrente reversa origina-se da geração de portadores térmicos dentro da junção, dependendo das dimensões físicas da junção do diodo.
Um aumento acentuado na corrente reversa ocorre quando a tensão reversa aplicada atinge um limite crítico conhecido como tensão de ruptura, específico para cada diodo. Este fenômeno, representado pelo joelho na curva I-V, significa um aumento substancial de corrente com aumento mínimo de tensão.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/15714/15714_Figure_1.svg" style="height: 200px;">
É essencial reconhecer que a ruptura do diodo não é inerentemente prejudicial, desde que a corrente permaneça dentro da sua área operacional segura, normalmente definida pela sua capacidade máxima de dissipação de energia na tabela de dados. Circuitos externos, projetados para limitar a corrente reversa a níveis seguros, são necessários para evitar danos potenciais. Os diodos Zener, projetados para funcionar dentro da região de ruptura para regulação de tensão, exemplificam diodos que operam com segurança sob essas condições.

Diodo: Polarização Reversa

Um diodo é polarizado reversamente quando sua região do tipo n é conectada ao terminal positivo da tensão de alimentação e sua região do tipo p é conectada ao ...

Education

JoVE Core

Electrical Engineering

Engenharia Elétrica

Unit 1

Unidade 1

Diodes

Diodos

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TERMOS E CONCEITOS-CHAVE

Diode: Reverse bias

diode reverse current and breakdown

A diode in reverse bias blocks current flow and widens its depletion region. In this setup, the positive terminal of the power source connects to the n-type material, and the negative terminal connects to the p-type material. The reverse connection also raises the barrier potential, so current stays very small.

The small reverse current is called leakage current. It comes mainly from minority charge carriers. At room temperature, once the reverse voltage is above the thermal voltage, the diode’s I-V curve becomes nearly flat, unlike the steep rise seen in forward bias.

Real diodes often show more reverse current than the ideal saturation current predicts. Small-signal diodes with femtoampere-level reverse saturation current may still measure nanoampere-level reverse current. This current can rise a little as reverse voltage increases, but the change is usually too small to affect the I-V curve much. It comes from thermal carrier generation in the junction and depends on the junction’s physical size.

A sharp increase in reverse current begins at the breakdown voltage. This is the critical reverse voltage where the I-V curve shows a knee and current rises quickly with little extra voltage. Breakdown is not always damaging if the current stays within the diode’s safe operating area, which is usually tied to the maximum power dissipation listed in the datasheet. External circuitry is used to keep reverse current safe, and Zener diodes are designed to work in the breakdown region for voltage regulation.

Diode Reverse Current and Breakdown

the ideal diode

Ideal Diode I-V Curve and Rectification

An ideal diode is a simple model of a semiconductor diode used to show how current moves through circuits. A diode has two terminals. The anode is positive, and the cathode is negative. In this model, current can flow only in one direction. When a positive voltage is applied to the anode relative to the cathode, the diode is forward-biased. In that state, it conducts current. When the cathode is at a higher potential than the anode, the diode is reverse-biased. It then blocks current and acts...

diode: forward bias

Diode Current in Forward Bias

Diode current in forward bias depends on how the p-type and n-type regions are connected to a battery. When the p-type region is tied to the positive terminal and the n-type region to the negative terminal, the diode is forward-biased. This setup lowers the potential barrier inside the diode and lets current move easily from the p-type side to the n-type side. The current-voltage behavior of a forward-biased diode is described by its I-V characteristics. These characteristics depend on the...

diode: reverse bias

A diode in reverse bias blocks current flow and widens its depletion region. In this setup, the positive terminal of the power source connects to the n-type material, and the negative terminal connects to the p-type material. The reverse connection also raises the barrier potential, so current stays very small. The small reverse current is called leakage current. It comes mainly from minority charge carriers. At room temperature, once the reverse voltage is above the thermal voltage, the...

zener diodes

Zener Diode Voltage Regulation

Zener diodes are semiconductor devices used to hold voltage steady in reverse bias. In reverse breakdown, current flows into the cathode and makes it positive relative to the anode. This behavior is different from a conventional diode and is the reason Zener diodes are useful in voltage regulation. A Zener diode has a nearly vertical current-voltage, or I-V, curve above a threshold called the knee current. That shape lets it keep a fairly stable voltage over a wide range of currents.

modeling of diode forward characteristics

modeling-of-diode-forward-characteristics

Diode Forward Bias: I-V Curve and Models

Diode forward bias is analyzed with the current-voltage, or I-V, curve and two common circuit models. These models help describe how a diode behaves when current flows in the forward direction. They are useful for electronic circuit design and analysis. The exponential diode model is used when the source voltage rises above 0.5 volts. At that point, the diode current increases exponentially above the saturation current. The I-V curve shows this nonlinear response as the forward voltage...

small-signal diode model

Diode Bias and Small-Signal Response

Diode bias and small-signal response describe how a diode behaves when a steady DC voltage and a tiny changing signal act on the same circuit. The DC bias sets the diode’s operating point, or Q point. Around that point, the diode current and voltage follow an exponential I-V relationship. A small time-varying signal can be added on top of the DC bias to study how the diode responds to small changes. When the signal voltage is much smaller than the thermal voltage, the diode’s behavior can be...

modeling of diode reverse characteristics

modeling-of-diode-reverse-characteristics

Zener Diode Load-Line Modeling

Zener diode load-line modeling shows how a reverse-biased diode sets a steady voltage in a circuit. Zener diodes use reverse breakdown in a controlled way, so they can hold a fixed voltage across their terminals. This makes them useful for voltage regulation. When the reverse voltage rises above the Zener voltage, or VZ, the diode enters the breakdown region. In this region, the current-voltage, or I-V, curve becomes nearly vertical after the knee current, IZ, is reached. That means the...

half wave rectifier

Single-Diode AC to DC Conversion

Single-diode AC to DC conversion uses a half-wave rectifier to change alternating current into a unidirectional voltage. The circuit is simple. It uses one diode in series with a load resistor and an AC power source. The diode controls the current because it allows flow in only one direction. During the positive half-cycles of the AC input, the diode is forward-biased. When the input voltage is greater than the diode threshold, current flows and an output voltage appears across the load...

full wave rectifier

AC to DC Conversion with Full-Wave Rectifiers

A full-wave rectifier converts alternating current, or AC, into direct current, or DC. It is more efficient than a half-wave rectifier. The circuit usually uses a center-tapped transformer, two diodes, and a load resistor. The center-tapped transformer is the key part of the circuit. Its secondary winding is split into two equal voltages with opposite polarities. That split lets the rectifier use both halves of the AC input waveform. During the positive half-cycle of the AC signal, diode D1...

bridge rectifier

AC to DC Conversion with Bridge Diodes

A bridge rectifier converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) using four diodes arranged in a bridge layout. It is used to turn both halves of the AC waveform into a single-direction output. That makes it an important part of many electronics circuits. During the positive half-cycle, diodes D1 and D2 conduct. Current then flows through the load resistor R. At the same time, D3 and D4 are reverse-biased, so they do not conduct. The action switches during the negative half-cycle.

clipper circuit

Dual Diode Wave Clipping

Dual diode wave clipping uses diodes and biasing batteries to reshape an AC signal. A clipper circuit is a wave-shaping device that changes waveform parts without changing the whole signal. It is commonly used in television and radar communication systems to improve waveform modulation in transmitters and receivers. A dual-clipper setup uses two ideal diodes, two biasing batteries, and a resistor connected in parallel. The circuit works by responding to the phase of the input AC signal. The...

clamper circuit

DC Restorer for Waveform Level Shifting

A clamper circuit, or DC restorer, shifts a waveform up or down by adding a DC level. It is a special form of rectifier circuit. In this setup, the output is taken across the diode instead of across the capacitor. The circuit works well with square wave inputs and other pulse signals. The diode direction lets the capacitor charge to the most negative peak of the input signal. After that, the diode stops conducting. The capacitor then holds that voltage at a steady value. As a result, the...

voltage doubler circuit

How a Voltage Doubler Raises AC Output

A voltage doubler circuit raises the output voltage by using a clamping section and a rectifier section. The clamping section includes a capacitor, C1, and a diode, D1. The rectifier section includes a second diode, D2, and a capacitor, C2. The circuit starts working when a sinusoidal input signal enters the clamping section. Under ideal conditions, this stage clamps the positive peaks at zero volts. It also lets the negative peak reach a magnitude that is twice the input amplitude. That...

schottky barrier diode

Fast Switching in Schottky Diodes

Schottky barrier diodes use a metal-semiconductor junction to control current flow. They are built by combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor. This contact creates the Schottky barrier, which gives the diode its one-way current behavior. When the metal touches the semiconductor, charge transfer occurs. The Fermi levels of the two materials align, and a depletion region forms near the contact area. In an n-type semiconductor, this region contains uncompensated...

key terms and concepts

Learn how reverse bias creates leakage current, why the diode I-V curve flattens, and what happens at breakdown voltage, including safe use in Zener diodes.

Diode Reverse Current and Breakdown | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Electrical Engineering offers easy-to-understand animated videos that cover fundamental concepts of electric circuits along with circuit analysis techniques. It incorporates first-order and second-order circuits using operational amplifiers and circuit transformation concepts. The inclusion of practical design examples and real-world applications through scientist-in-action videos adds significant educational value, making complex concepts accessible.

electrical engineering

Diode Reverse Current and Breakdown

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