Almughtaribeen University

ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering
Department of Electrical Engineering

Analog Electronic Circuits I

Lecture 2

Diodes

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed]

 Lecture Outline
❑ Introduction
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ Diodes
❑ Diodes Types
❑ Applications of Diode Circuits
❑ Practice Problems

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 2

 Introduction
❑ PN junction diode is nonlinear circuit elements and many
signal processing function need it e.g. signal rectification.
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ The diode is the simplest and most fundamental non-linear

circuit element.
❑ Like a resistor, it has two terminals.
❑ Unlike a resistor, it has a non-linear current-voltage
characteristics.
❑ Diode is a two-terminal semiconductor device formed by
two doped regions of silicon separated by a pn junction.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 3

 Diodes

❑ A diode is the simplest possible

ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

semiconductor device.

❑ When forward-biased, there is a

small amount of voltage necessary
to get the diode going. In silicon,
this voltage is about 0.7 volts.
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 4
 Diodes

❑ When reverse-biased, an ideal

ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

diode would block all current.

A real diode lets perhaps 10
micro Amps through -- not a
lot, but still not perfect.

❑ Usually, the breakdown

voltage is a lot more
voltage than the circuit
will ever see, so it is
irrelevant.
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 5
 Diodes
❑Silicon diodes have, in general, higher Peak Inverse Voltage
(PIV) and current rating and wider temperature ranges than
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

germanium diodes. PIV ratings for silicon can be in the

neighborhood of 1000 V, whereas the maximum value for
germanium is closer to 400 V. Silicon can be used for
applications in which the temperature may rise to about 200°C
(400°F), whereas germanium has a much lower maximum rating
(100°C).
❑However, to ensure a minimum of confusion with other terms,
such as output voltage (Vo) and forward voltage (VF), the notation
VT has been adopted for the word “threshold.”:

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 6

 Diodes
DC or Static Resistance
❑ The application of a dc voltage to a circuit containing a semiconductor diode
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

will result in an operating point on the characteristic curve that will not
change with time.
❑ The resistance of the diode at the operating point can be found simply by
finding the corresponding levels of VD and ID as shown in below Figure and
applying the following equation:

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 7

 Diodes
Example 2-1
Determine the dc resistance levels for the diode of below
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Figure at
(a) ID 2 mA
(b) ID 20 mA
(c) VD 10 V

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 8

 Diodes
Solution
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 9

 Diodes Types
❑Diode is a two-terminal semiconductor device formed by two
doped regions of silicon separated by a pn junction. The most
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

common category of diode, known as the general-purpose diode,

is covered. Other special purposes diodes will be covered.
Optical Diodes
❑ There are two popular types of optoelectronic devices:
✓ Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and photodiode:
LED is diode that emits light when biased in the forward direction of
p-n junction.

Anode Cathode

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 10

 Diodes Types
Optical Diodes
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

LEDs are produced in an array of shapes and sizes. The 5 mm cylindrical package (red, fifth from the left) is the most common, estimated at 80% of world production. The color of the plastic lens is often the same as the actual color of light emitted, but not always. For instance, purple plastic is often used for infrared LEDs, and most blue devices have clear housings. There are also LEDs in extremely tiny packages, such as those found on blinkies (not shown).

LED characteristics:
❑ characteristic curves are very similar to those for
p-n junction diodes
❑ higher forward voltage (VF)
❑ lower reverse breakdown voltage (VBR).
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 11
 Diodes Types
Optical Diodes
❑ The seven segment display is an example of LEDs use for
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

display of decimal digits.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 12

 Diodes Types
The Schottky Diode
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ The Schottky diode’s significant characteristic is its fast

switching speed.
❑ This is useful for high frequencies and digital applications.
❑ It is not a typical diode in that it does not have a p-n junction.
❑ Instead, it consists of a doped semiconductor (usually n-type)
and metal bound together.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 13

 Diodes Types
Zener Diode
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ Zener diode is a p-n junction diode that is designed to operate

in the reverse breakdown region.
❑ Two things happen when the reverse breakdown voltage
(VBR) is reached:
✓ The diode current increases drastically.
✓ The reverse voltage (VR) across the diode remains
relatively constant.
❑ In other words, the voltage across a Zener diode operated in
this region is relatively constant over a range of reverse
current and nearly equal to its Zener voltage (VZ) rating.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 14

 Diodes Types
Zener Diode
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Cathode (K) K

VZ
IZ
−
Anode (A) A
VBR

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 15

 Diodes Types
Zener Diode
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Ideal Zener Equivalent Circuits

IF

VR
VZ VF

IR

❑ Ideal model and characteristic curve of a Zener diode in

reverse breakdown.
❑ The constant voltage drop = the nominal Zener voltage.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 16

 Diodes Types
Specifications
1. Line frequency diodes: For low frequency rectifications.
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

✓ On-state voltage very low (below 1V).

✓ Large reverse recovery time trr (about 25 μs).
✓ Very high current (up to 6 kA) and voltage (8 kV) ratings.
✓ Used in line-frequency (50/60 Hz) applications such as
✓ rectifiers.
✓ Slow recovery, as illustrated below.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 17

 Diodes Types
Specifications
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

2. Fast and ultra-fast recovery diode: For high frequency rectifications.

✓ Very low trr (< 1 μs).
✓ Power levels at several hundred volts and several hundred
✓ amperes.
✓ Normally used in high frequency circuits.
3. Schottky diode: These are based on metal-semiconductor junctions.
✓ These junctions have a lower junction potential leading to a lower
forward voltage drop.
✓ Silicon-based Schottky power diodes have forward voltage drop ranging
from 0.3 to 0.6 V,
✓ Can withstand reverse voltages up to 200 V. As opposed to PN junction
diodes, Schottkys are majority carrier devices, so they do not have any
reverse recovery.
✓ They are used in low voltage, high current application such as switched-
mode power supplies.
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 18
 Applications of Diode circuit
Rectifier Circuits
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Clippers Circuits

Half Wave Rectifier

❑ A rectifier is an device which converts alternative current into direct
current and this process is called rectification.
❑ Half Wave Rectifier is the simplest type of rectifier, which is made with
just one diode.
✓ When the voltage of the alternating current is positive, the diode
becomes forward-biased and current flows through it.
✓ When the voltage is negative, the diode is reverse-biased and the current
stops.
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 19
 Applications of Diode circuit
Half-Wave Rectifier
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

For this configuration, the diode will

conducts (becomes forward biased)
whenever the supply voltage vS is positive.
This means that, during the positive half
cycle, (0 < ωt < π), The diode conducts and
behaves like a closed switch connecting the
supply to the load. Current
io will flow through the load with value io= vo / R and since the load is
resistive, the load current waveform will be replica of the voltage
waveform.
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 20
 Applications of Diode circuit
Half-Wave Rectifier
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Since the load is resistive, therefore the load voltage and current are in phase
and they are related by io = vo / R. Consequently, the average value of the load
current Idc is:

The output d.c. power is given by:

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 21

 Applications of Diode circuit
Half-Wave Rectifier
Example 2-2
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

An ideal single-phase source, 240 V, 50 Hz, supplies power to a load resistor

R = 100 Ω via a single ideal diode.
(a) Calculate the output values of the load current and the power.
(b) What must be the rating of the diode?

Solution
𝑉𝑚 240∗ 2
𝑉𝑑𝑐 = = =108V
𝜋 𝜋

The output power is given by :

𝑃𝑑𝑐 = 𝑉𝑑𝑐 *𝐼𝑑𝑐 =108*1.08=116.64 W

The diode must be rated in terms of a peak reverse voltage and a mean forward current.

Diode PRV =

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 22

 Applications of Diode circuit
Full Wave Rectifier
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Bridge Rectifier,

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 23

 Applications of Diode circuit
Full Wave Rectifier
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Example 2-3

For the single-phase, full-wave, uncontrolled rectifier, the supply voltage

is 110 V, 50 Hz. The load resistor is 25 Ω, calculate:
(a) The values of the output voltage and current.
(b) The DC. power consumed by the load (Pdc) .
(c) Sketch the appropriate load voltage and diode voltage waveforms.
Solution

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 24

 Applications of Diode circuit
Full Wave Rectifier
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 25

 Applications of Diode circuit
Clippers Circuits
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ The clipper circuits are generally categorized into three

types: series clippers, shunt clippers and dual
(combination) clippers. In series clippers, the diode is
connected in series with the output load resistance. In shunt
clippers, the diode is connected in parallel with the output
load resistance.

❑ The Diode Clipper, also known as a Diode Limiter, is a

wave shaping circuit that takes an input waveform and clips
or cuts off its top half, bottom half or both halves together.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 26

 Applications of Diode circuit
Positive Diode Clipping Circuits
❑ In this diode clipping circuit, the diode is forward biased (anode more
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

positive than cathode) during the positive half cycle of the sinusoidal input
waveform. For the diode to become forward biased, it must have the input
voltage magnitude greater than +0.7 volts (0.3 volts for a germanium
diode).

❑ When this happens the diodes begins to conduct and holds the voltage
across itself constant at 0.7V until the sinusoidal waveform falls below
this value. Thus the output voltage which is taken across the diode can
never exceed 0.7 volts during the positive half cycle.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 27

 Applications of Diode circuit
Negative Diode Clipping Circuits
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ Here the reverse is true. The diode is forward biased during the negative
half cycle of the sinusoidal waveform and limits or clips it to –0.7 volts
while allowing the positive half cycle to pass unaltered when reverse
biased. As the diode limits the negative half cycle of the input voltage it
is therefore called a negative clipper circuit.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 28

 Applications of Diode circuit
Clipping of Both Half Cycles
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

❑ If we connected two diodes in inverse parallel as shown, then both the

positive and negative half cycles would be clipped as diode D1 clips the
positive half cycle of the sinusoidal input waveform while diode D2 clips
the negative half cycle. Then diode clipping circuits can be used to clip the
positive half cycle, the negative half cycle or both.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 29

 Practice Problems
1. An ideal single-phase source, 240 V, sine wave, 50 Hz, supplies
power to a load resistor R = 50 Ω via a single ideal diode.
ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

(a) Calculate the output values of the load current and the
power dissipation.
(b) draw the wave form for input voltage, output voltage and
output current!
2. For the single-phase, full-wave, uncontrolled rectifier, the supply
voltage is 130 V, 50 Hz. The load resistor is 18 Ω, calculate:
(a) The values of the output voltage and current.
(b) The DC. power consumed by the load (𝑃𝑑𝑐 ) .
(c) Sketch the appropriate load voltage and diode voltage
waveforms.

Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 30

ALMUGHTARIBEEN UNIVERSITY

Thank You
Almughtaribeen University – [ Abusabah I. A. Ahmed] 31