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The difference between the avalanche diode (which has a reverse breakdown above about 6.2 V) and the Zener is that the channel length of the former exceeds the "mean free path" of the electrons, so there are collisions between them on the way out. The only practical difference is that the two types have temperature coefficients of opposite polarities.

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13y ago
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9y ago

An avalanche breakdown is going to keep electricity running until the entire system burns up. A zener breakdown is going to be a controlled breakdown. Zener will shut down the electricity at the time of the breakdown.

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11y ago

The difference is in the doping levels. Zener is heavy doping so the depletion gap is very thin and too close to conduct by ionisation. Avalanche is lightly doped so the gap is bigger and conduction also includes ionisation and they work at higher range of voltages.

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13y ago

A: Avalanche usually occurs at hi voltage and it is not predictable but manufactures guaranty a voltage that cannot be exceeded or it will breakdown that occurs then the device may self destroy itself by exceeding the power dissipation Zeners breakdown are very predictable for the simple reason that they are manufacture that way once they reach the prescribed voltage they do breakdown and maintain that voltage with quite of bit of input voltage variation.

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11y ago

None. Different names of same phenomena in semiconductor devices.

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Q: What is difference between avanlche break down and zener break down?
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Related questions

What is the difference between an ideal zener diode and practical zener diode?

Zener diode is heavily doped pn junction diode.


What is the primary difference between a zener diode and PN-junction Diode?

ZENER DIODE IS MADE TO REVERSE BREAK OVER AT A CERTAIN VOLTAGE the break over knee is not exactly sharp especially in low voltage zeners. and p-n means positive and negative junction


What is the difference between p n junction and zener diode?

The difference between the pn-junction diode and the zener diode is that the pn-junction diode is used for rectification while the zener diode is used for rectification and stabilization. Also, the zener diode can function in the breakdown region while the pn-juntion diode can not function in that regime.


Difference between avalanche zener and thermal breakdown?

Avalanche is when you surpass the negative bias voltage threshold and the zener breaks, thermal breakdown would be putting too much current or voltage across the zener and burning it out.


What is the difference between Junction diode and Zener diode?

The difference is , the break down in a zener is desirable, well designed, expected, healthy and designed for a particular value. After breakdown, it can and is expected to maintain that condition for a long time. zener is optimized to work in this region.They are designed to have very low breakdown voltages. In contrast, the break down in a rectifier diode is undesirable, not well designed, not respected. This diode is optimized to work in the rectifier region and optimized for that. Breakdown region is avoided in normal operation. The breakdown voltage is normally very high, above 100 volts.


What is the difference between regulated IC and the zener diode?

a zener regulator must sustain its own current to function plus the load currents IC regulator on the other hand will require very little current to sustain regulation plus there is a gain regulation that a zener do not have.


Difference between zener diode and junction diode?

Zener diodes and ordinary junction diodes are similar, except that zener diodes have additional doping to bring their reverse breakdown voltage into a more usable value, and to allow them to not destructively avalanche when they do conduct in the reverse direction.


Reverse characteristics graph of pn junction diode?

what is the difference between reverse characteristics of zener diode and a practical diode ?


When a 3.3 V zener diode is parallel with a 7 V zener diode what is the break down voltage?

Since they are in parallel, the 3.3V zener diode will "kick in" first when you reach 3.3V, and the circuit will pretty much act the same as if the 7V zener diode isn't there at all.


What is the different between safety barrier and galvanic isolation?

should be in question, the difference between - not the different. the difference is that zener barriers can be used where circuit allows, but galvanic separators can be used where theres an ex environments I think.


Explian action of zener diode as a regulator?

Zener predicatively will break down at a voltage as manufactured and sustain that voltage as long as the source can provide the current. The limitation is the zener power dissipation for each device. It Regulates by maintaining that breakdown voltage until its current is reduced or its break down voltage is reduced.


Why doesn't zener diode have negative resistance?

because of its high break down voltage.