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Q: When a diode is in the breakdown region how are the current carriers produced?
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What are the types of breakdown region in diode?

zener breakdown and avalanche breakdown.


Why does voltage remain constant in the reverse breakdown region in a zener diode?

This space is for answering "http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_voltage_remain_constant_in_the_reverse_breakdown_region_in_a_zener_diode" Why does voltage remain constant in the reverse breakdown region in a zener diode?


Why diode acts as insulator in reverse biasing?

a diode has two junctions one is doped with p-type and another is doped with n-type.a diode connected in reverse bias means that the n-channel is connected to the positive end of the battery and p-channel is attached to the negative end of the battery if we start increasing the reverse voltage the width of depletion region increases and the exchange of charge carriers (holes and electrons) is inhibited so we expect zero current in the circuit but on experimental observations we had confirmed that a small current (micro-amp) is observed due to the minority charge carriers(electrons in p-channel and holes in n-channel) present in the diode , for these minority charge carriers the applied voltage appers as as forward bias to them so they conduct . but on further increasing the reverse voltage we note a large change in the reverse current this is due to junction breakdown (the depletion region is broken , so there is no demarcation between p-channel and n-channel in the diode). the voltage at which this phenomena occurs is called 'break-down voltage'


Why is the rectifier diode never operated in the breakdown region?

cz forword baise


What is depletion region in a diode?

As we bring P type and N type semiconductors fused together, then rich holes in P type would get neutralized with some rich electrons in N type. Hence at the juntion region, there will not be charge carriers ie holes and electrons. So it is known as Depletion Region. Depletion means emptying something. In case of ordinary diode this depletion region would be wider where as in case of Zener Diode the depletion region would be narrower. This is because the semiconductors are heavily doped. Hence potential barrier would be easily built up even with a thin region where holes and electrons get combined for neutrelization.

Related questions

What is significance of depletion region?

Depletion region is the region where current carriers such as electrons and holes are absent.


Why the current increases rapidly after breakdown?

breakdown can depend on two phenomenons: band to band tunneling (quantum theory) and avalanche multiplication. For simplicity, let's talk about A.M.: With negative voltages, E field is very high and induces free carriers to cross depleted region. A percentage of free carriers (depends on material, depletion region width, doping, temperature and voltage applied) will impact with crystal and generate a pair of free carriers (hole + electron). So, for each impact, a couple of carriers is generated and accelerated by E field => repeat this for all the depletion region and all the width and you'll find a rapid increase of inverse current.


What is breakdown region?

The breakdown region of a transistor is the region where the supply voltage, Vcc, becomes so large that the collector-emitter junction of the transistor breaks down and conducts, even though there is no base current.


Leakage current in diode is due to?

The p-region of a diode contains an abundance of holes, but also contains a small percentage of electrons. Similarly, the n-region also contains a small percentage of holes. These are knows as the minority carriers. Again, like charges repel, so when the diode is reverse biased, these minority carriers will migrate toward the boundary region. The minority carriers will recombine at the boundary region, and thus enable an electric current. Because these carriers are few in number (orders of magnitude less than the majority carriers), this current is very small. This represents the leakage current of a diode. The mobility of minority carriers increases with temperature, and heating a diode will cause greater numbers of minority carriers to congregate at the boundary region. This will increase leakage current. Surface contamination on the diode may also allow small amounts of electricity to be conducted, again causing leakage.


Distinguish between zener avalanche effects?

1. Differentiate Zener breakdown from avalanche breakdown? Zener Breakdown Avalanche breakdown 1.This occurs at junctions which being heavily doped have narrow depletion layers 2. This breakdown voltage sets a very strong electric field across this narrow layer. 3. Here electric field is very strong to rupture the covalent bonds thereby generating electronhole pairs. So even a small increase in reverse voltage is capable of producing large number of current carriers. ie why the junction has a very low resistance. This leads to Zener breakdown. 1. This occurs at junctions which being lightly doped have wide depletion layers. 2. Here electric field is not strong enough to produce Zener breakdown. 3. Her minority carriers collide with semi conductor atoms in the depletion region, which breaks the covalent bonds and electron-hole pairs are generated. Newly generated charge carriers are accelerated by the electric field which results in more collision and generates avalanche of charge carriers. This results in avalanche breakdown.


What are the types of breakdown region in diode?

zener breakdown and avalanche breakdown.


What is Avalanche breakdown?

Avalanche breakdown is a phenomenon that can occur in both insulating and semiconducting materials. It is a form of electric current multiplication that can allow very large currents to flow within materials which are otherwise good insulators. It is a type of electron avalanche. The Avalanche process occurs when the carriers in the transition region are accelerated by the electric field to energies sufficient to free e- h pairs via collisions with bond electrons.


What is the effect of temperature on leakage current?

Flow of current in the collector circuit produces heat at the collector base junction. This increases the temperature. More minority carriers are generated in base collector region, since more bands are broken,the leakage current increases. In other word, leakage current increase when temperature increase.


Why does voltage remain constant in the reverse breakdown region in a zener diode?

This space is for answering "http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_voltage_remain_constant_in_the_reverse_breakdown_region_in_a_zener_diode" Why does voltage remain constant in the reverse breakdown region in a zener diode?


What are the majority carriers in the base region of an npn transistor?

holes are majority in base


Why diode acts as insulator in reverse biasing?

a diode has two junctions one is doped with p-type and another is doped with n-type.a diode connected in reverse bias means that the n-channel is connected to the positive end of the battery and p-channel is attached to the negative end of the battery if we start increasing the reverse voltage the width of depletion region increases and the exchange of charge carriers (holes and electrons) is inhibited so we expect zero current in the circuit but on experimental observations we had confirmed that a small current (micro-amp) is observed due to the minority charge carriers(electrons in p-channel and holes in n-channel) present in the diode , for these minority charge carriers the applied voltage appers as as forward bias to them so they conduct . but on further increasing the reverse voltage we note a large change in the reverse current this is due to junction breakdown (the depletion region is broken , so there is no demarcation between p-channel and n-channel in the diode). the voltage at which this phenomena occurs is called 'break-down voltage'


Why zen er diode used at breakdown region?

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