What is depletion layer in diode?
What is depletion layer in diode?
Depletion region or depletion layer is a region in a P-N junction diode where no mobile charge carriers are present. Depletion layer acts like a barrier that opposes the flow of electrons from n-side and holes from p-side.
What diode has no depletion layer?
Since they are constructed using a metal compound on one side of their junction and doped silicon on the other side, the Schottky diode therefore has no depletion layer and are classed as unipolar devices unlike typical pn-junction diodes which are bipolar devices.
What does the depletion layer do?
The depletion region is also called as depletion zone, depletion layer, space charge region, or space charge layer. The depletion region acts like a wall between p-type and n-type semiconductor and prevents further flow of free electrons and holes.
What is depletion layer and how it is formed?
So when a hole diffuses across the junction, it leaves a negative donor ion and the electron leaves a positive charge on the n side. These oppositely charged layers form a field due to the potential difference between the points which form the depletion region.
What is the thickness of depletion layer?
1μm
Generally, the thickness of the depletion layer is 1μm.
What is depletion layer and potential barrier?
Deplection region is a region created around the p-n junction which is devoid of free charge carriers and has immobile ions. Potential barrier is a potential difference or junction voltage developed across the junction due to migration of majority carriers across it when p-n junction is formed.
Why are Schottky diodes used?
Schottky diodes are used for their low turn-on voltage, fast recovery time and low-loss energy at higher frequencies. These characteristics make Schottky diodes capable of rectifying a current by facilitating a quick transition from conducting to blocking state.
What is meant by Schottky diode?
The Schottky diode (named after the German physicist Walter H. Schottky), also known as Schottky barrier diode or hot-carrier diode, is a semiconductor diode formed by the junction of a semiconductor with a metal. It has a low forward voltage drop and a very fast switching action.
What is barrier potential in a diode?
Barrier Potential: The electric field formed in the depletion region acts as a barrier. External energy must be applied to get the electrons to move across the barrier of the electric field. The potential difference required to move the electrons through the electric field is called the barrier potential.
What are the main component of depletion layer?
Note: The depletion layer consists of both electrons and protons but they are immobile in nature therefore the correct answer would be immobile ions. The donor and acceptor atom get a positive and negative charge due to which the PN junction forms.
How the depletion region is formed in diodes?
Depletion Region Details Filling a hole makes a negative ion and leaves behind a positive ion on the n-side. A space charge builds up, creating a depletion region which inhibits any further electron transfer unless it is helped by putting a forward bias on the junction.
What is the width of depletion layer in pn junction diode?
The width of the depletion region in a p–n junction diode is 500nm and an intense electric field of 6×105V/m is also found to exist.
What is the formation of the depletion layer in a diode?
Formation of Depletion Layer in Diode. There is greater concentration of holes in P-region and electrons in N-region. This difference in concentration establishes a density mismatch across the junction resulting in majority carrier diffusion Holes diffuse from P to N and electrons from N to P regions causing the recombination.
What is the difference between a junction and a depletion layer?
The junction (depletion) region has a physical thickness that varies with the applied voltage. When a diode is Zero Biased no external energy source is applied and a natural Potential Barrier is developed across a depletion layer which is approximately 0.5 to 0.7v for silicon diodes and approximately 0.3 of a volt for germanium diodes.
What is the difference between tunnel diode and normal diode?
The concentration of impurities in tunnel diode is 1000 times greater than the normal p-n junction diode. In normal p-n junction diode, the depletion width is large as compared to the tunnel diode. This wide depletion layer or depletion region in normal diode opposes the flow of current.
What happens when a diode is connected in a zero bias condition?
When a diode is connected in a Zero Bias condition, no external potential energy is applied to the PN junction. However if the diodes terminals are shorted together, a few holes (majority carriers) in the P-type material with enough energy to overcome the potential barrier will move across the junction against this barrier potential.
