Semiconductor Electronics: additional problems

(08 August 2014)

1. PN-Junction

Example: PN-Junction (Razavi, 2014), p. 39.

Solution:

Example: PN-Junction (Razavi, 2014), p.56

How do you explain the phenomenon of drift?
Solution:
Drift is analogous to water flow in a river. Water flows from top of mountain to bottom because
of gravitational field; electron flows from one terminal to the other because of electric field.
Drift
electrons
Electric field
Drift/current

Water flow
water
Gravitational field
Water flow
Page 1 of 15

2. Diode

Example: I/V Characteristics (Razavi, 2014), p. 49.

Solution:

Example: I/V Characteristics (Razavi, 2014), p. 52.

Solution:

Page 2 of 15

Page 3 of 15

Example: Diode (Razavi, 2014), p. 61.

Solution:

Example: Diode (Razavi, 2014), p. 117.

Beginning with VD ,on 800mV for each diode, determine the change in Vout if Vin changes from
+ 2 .4V to + 2.5V for the circuit shown in figure below.

Solution:
Page 4 of 15

(a) When Vin changes from + 2 .4V to +2.5V , D1 is on throughout the change. So
Vout Vin - 0.8V , i.e., Vout changes from +1.6V to + 1 .7V .
(b) When Vin changes from + 2 .4V to +2.5V , D1 and D 2 are both on. So Vout Vin - VD1,on ,
i.e., Vout changes from +1.6V to + 1 .7V .
(c) When Vin changes from + 2 .4V to +2.5V , D1 and D 2 are both on. So Vout VD 2,on ,
i.e., Vout stays at +0.8V .
(d) When Vin changes from + 2 .4V to +2.5V , D 2 is on. So Vout VD 2,on , i.e., Vout stays at
+ 0.8V .

Example: Diode (Scherz & Monk, 2013), p.427.

(1) What does this circuit do?

(2) Whats the final output voltage?
(3) What are the individual voltage drops across each diode with plug tip-positive and plug
tip-negative? (Assume each diode has a 0.6V forward voltage drop)
(4) To prevent diode meltdown, what would be the minimum load resistance, assuming
1N4002 diodes?
Solution:

Page 5 of 15

Example: Diode (Razavi, 2014), p. 63.

Solution:

Page 6 of 15

Example: Voltage Regulator (Cathey, 2002), p.55.

The circuit of figure (a) below is an inexpensive voltage regulator; all the diodes are identical
and have the characteristic of figure (b) below. Find the regulation of v0 when vb increases from
its nominal value of 4V to the value 6V. Take R = 2 k W , and assume each diode can be modelled
as a battery, VF = 0.5V , and a resistor, RF = 500W in series.

Solution:
Combining the diode strings between points a and b and between points b and c gives the circuit
of figure (b) above, where

Page 7 of 15

3. Ideal Diode

Example: I/V Characteristic (Razavi, 2014), p. 113.

Plot the I/V characteristic of the circuit shown in figure below. Assume VD ,on = 800mV for the
constant voltage diode model.

Solution:

Example: Ideal Diode (Cathey, 2002), p.50.

In the following circuit, D1 and D2 are ideal diodes. Find i D 1 and i D 2 .

Solution:

Page 8 of 15

Example: Ideal Diode (Cathey, 2002), p.31.

Solution:

Page 9 of 15

Example: Ideal Diode (Cathey, 2002), p.48.

For the circuit of figure (a) below, sketch the waveform of vL and v D if the source voltage vS is
as given in figure (b) below. The diode is ideal, and RL = 100W .

Solution:

Page 10 of 15

Example: Ideal Diode (Cathey, 2002), p.49.

Assume D1 and D2 are ideal. R2 = RL = 100W , and vS is a 10V square wave of period of 1 ms.

Solution:

4. Zener Diode

Example: Zener Diode

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

In which region is a zener diode made to operate?

Name two mechanisms by which charges are created in zener diode?
At what value of electric field, at the junction, does zener breakdown take place?
Is the reverse saturation current a small current or a large current?
Large changes in diode current produce only small changes in diode voltage-this is true in
which region?
Page 11 of 15

Solution:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Breakdown region as it is reverse biased

Avalanche multiplication and zener breakdown
2 107 v m
Very small current
Breakdown region

Example: Zener Voltage Regulator (Scherz & Monk, 2013), p.427.

A 10- to 50-mA load requires a regulated 8.2V. With a 12V 10 percent power supply and 8.2V
zener diode.
(1) What series resistance is required?
(2) Assume from the data sheets (or experimentation) that the zener diodes minimum
regulation current is 10 mA. Determine the power ratings for the resistor and zener diode.

Solution:

Page 12 of 15

Example: Zener Diode (Cathey, 2002), p.65.

The zener diode in the voltage regulator circuit of figure below has a constant reverse breakdown
voltage VZ = 8.2V , for 75mA iZ 1 A . If RL = 9W , size R S so that vL = VZ is regulated to
(maintained at) 8.2V while Vb varies by 1 0 percent from its nominal value of 12V.

Solution:

5. Diode Application

Example: Full-Wave Rectifier Circuit (Cathey, 2002), p.63.

Find vL for the full-wave rectifier circuit of figure below, treating the transformer and diodes as
ideal. Assume RS = 0 .

Page 13 of 15

Solution:

Example: LED (Cathey, 2002), p.66.

A LED has a greater forward voltage drop than does a common signal diode. A typical LED can
be modelled as a constant forward voltage drop VD = 1.6V . Its luminous intensity I v varies
directly with forward current and is described by
I v = 40iD millicandela (mcd)
A series circuit consists of such an LED, a current-limiting resistor R , and a 5V DC source VS .
(1) Find the value of R such that the luminous intensity as 1 mcd.
(2) The reverse breakdown voltage (VR ) of the LED is guaranteed by the manufacturer to be
no lower than 3V. Knowing that the 5V DC source may be inadvertently applied so as to
reverse-bias the LED, we wish to add a zener diode to ensure that reverse breakdown of
the LED can never occur. A zener diode is available with VZ = 4.2V , I Z = 30mA , and a
forward drop of 0.6V. Describe the proper connection of the zener in the circuit to protect
the LED, and find the value of the luminous intensity that will result if R is unchanged.
Solution:
(1)

Page 14 of 15

(2)

References:
Cathey, J. J. (2002). Electronic devices and circuits (2nd ed.): The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Razavi, B. (2014). Fundamentals of microelectronics. River Street, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., ISBN 978-1-118-15632-2.
Scherz, P., & Monk, S. (2013). Practical electronics for inventors. New York Chicago San
Francisco Lisbon: McGraw-Hill, ISBN 978-0-07-177134-4.

Page 15 of 15