Practical Experiment : The

Semiconductor Diode
ALISSA KRIEL

Practical Performed on 18 March 2014

Abstract
The solid-state device known as the diode is the simplest of the doped electronic semiconductor
components that are widely applied in modern computer circuitry. It contains one pn-junction
which is the interface between the n-type- and p-type-doped areas of the diode host crystal. The
manner in which the polarity of an applied voltage is connected to the diode in a circuit at any
point in time determines whether positive and negative charge carriers will cross the pn-junction
and allow current to pass through the component viz. being either connected in the forward bias
manner or the reverse bias manner. In this practical investigation it was of interest to
experimentally determine the voltage-current characteristic plots of four ordinary 1N4007 rectifier
diodes and that of a 5V1, 1W Zener diode to verify specific operating voltage values as found in
data sheets for the diodes. That was accomplished by measuring the voltage across the relevant
diode, as well as the current through it by means of constructing a series circuit supplied with a DC
emf with the diode and a resistor across which the voltage was recorded and converted to
current, all controlled in real time by a LABView virtual instrument control program. All the
characteristic curves displayed as theoretically expected. In addition, by applying Linear regression
techniques on the forward bias Zener diode characteristic results, parameters of the Shockley
equation for the diode was computed. The ideality factor found was 1
.04,
whilst the saturation
-15
current was solved to be I

= 3.665 x 10 A
. These values correlated well with theoretically
s
predicted ones. All of the measured diodes were concluded to be functioning correctly and
according to theory.

ConstructingCurrentVoltageCharacteristicsofRectifier
andZenerdiodesandgraphicallydeterminingparameters
intheShockleyequation

Introduction
In widely utilized computer technology- which is generally designed using elaborate circuits
(integrated or mounted on printed circuit boards) that contain many components and digital
operators, much of those electronic components are so called solid-state devices.
These solid-state -or, equivalently, semiconductor - components are simply pure intrinsic
semiconducting materials, like Silicon for example, that have been locally doped with impurity
atoms that either lead to an excess of donor electrons when the impurity dopant atoms have a
higher valence than the host material, or lead to an excess of acceptor holes that represent
positive charge carriers when the dopant atoms is of a valence lower than the host material
atoms.
[1]
The areas that have been doped such as to have more positive hole charge carriers are
conventionally referred to as
p-type
. Analogously, the areas doped such that there is an excess of
electron charge carriers is called
n-type
. Of particular electrical significance is the interface
between such oppositely doped regions in the material. The interface, when existing between a
p-type and n-type region, is termed a
pn-junction
. The diode is the simplest of the solid-state
electronic components and consists of a pn-junction between a p-type side called the anode and
an n-type material side called the cathode.
[2]
The main and initial application of the diode as an electronic component is to rectify alternating
currents. The diode ends up conducting when the applied voltage matches a positive polarity
across it, due to the behaviour of the charge carriers at the pn-junction interface under these
conditions. When the voltage across the diode is reversed w.r.t. source polarity, the charge
carriers behave oppositely and the diode becomes non-conducting. This is viz. the process
depicted in the following Energy band diagrams for the pn-diodes junction at each of the biases:
[3]

Figure 1 : The energy band diagram elevations of the p-type region (to the left) and n-type region (to the right)
under the possible applied biases

---diagram credit to [3]

As is clear from figure 1 above, when the voltage across the diode is forward biased, the charge
carriers can overcome the energy barrier much easier than in the Reversed biased connected
state. This gives rise to a dominating diffusion current when the diode is connected in forward bias
configuration, yielding good current flow. Alternatively, when the diode is connected in the
reverse bias fashion, there is a negligible diffusion current across the junction, and thus a very
small leak current due to the Electric filed of the junction.
[4]
Zener diodes are designed with the intention that they should be connected in the Reversed bias
configuration. As such, Zener diodes operate under the conditions in which reverse breakdown
occurs. These diodes then cater for different applications than ordinary rectifier diodes. As for the
VI characteristic for any junction-diode, the Zener diode VI characteristic for the forward bias
configuration can be modelled fairly accurately by the
Shockley equation
without the subtraction
of 1
:
[2]
qvD

iD = I s[e( n(kT ) )] ..................................... (Equation 1)

I
and v
are the current through the diode and the voltage across it respectively. The value I
is
D
D
s
known as the saturation current, and n is the emission (ideality) coefficient. k is the Boltzmann
constant, and T is the ambient temperature. q is the charge of the electron.
We can linearise Equation 1:
q
ln(iD) = ln(I s) + n(kT)
(vD)
...........................(Equation 2)

From equation 2, a plot of ln(i

) versus diode voltage v
ought to yield a linear plot with a slope
D
D
q
equal to n(kT)
and a y-intercept equal to ln(I

).
s
It is then possible to determine the ideality factor value, as well as the saturation current value, if
the area of the plot being worked with is sufficiently linear. The obtained values may be compared
to theoretically predicted ones.

Method:
The Current and Voltage measurements for each of the four 1N4007 diodes and the 5V1 Zener
diode was done by separately connecting them (in turn) in a series circuit containing an
equivalence resistance, and controlling the applied DC voltage source and the measurement data
collection using a LABView virtual instrument program.
The series circuit in
Figure 2
was constructed which contained the diode that was of interest, and
a parallel equivalent resistance which served no other purpose than to indirectly find the current
through the diode. The circuit was supplied with a DC voltage via a dual channel power supply unit
utilizing the range of 0.02V...35V on the first channel, where the instrument resolution was 0.01V.
From data sheets for the 1N4007 and the 5V1 Zener diode:
[5] & [6]
Table 1: Data sheet Maximum Forward-current and voltage specifications
Diode

Maximum Current through

diode (A)

Maximum forward Voltage

across diode (V)

1N4007

1.0

1.1

5V1 Zener

1.0

1.0

The forward bias Voltage across the relevant diode was measured directly, with instrument and
component polarities as shown. The current through the diode (and the series circuit in general)
was measured indirectly by measuring the voltage across the equivalent resistance and having
programmed a LABView acquisition vi to convert the measured voltage to current values by Ohms
law conversion. When measuring the reverse bias voltages and currents, the polarity of the
applied voltage was reversed at the source rather than inverting the diode connection itself. A
correction in the stopping conditions of the LABView control vi was implemented so as to still stop
the power supply when it reached a negative current of 1A.

The control vi program was adjusted to stop and shut off the applied voltage when the current in
the circuit exceeded 1A or if the Power dissipated in the resistor exceeded 1W.

Figure 2: Circuit used to measure rectifier diode voltage and diode current

Determination of the Equivalent resistance to be used as shown in Figure 2:

In our measurement circuit, we in actuality utilized two 100 resistors in parallel

(i.e. R1 = R2 = 50), ultimately yielding an equivalent resistance of 50 in series with the
diode. This was since these were the only available resistors that was able to dissipate the
~ 5W of power that would arise during the measurement process.

Instead, if the entire voltage range of the power supply was to be used (i.e. 0.02V..35V),
then the resistance value would depend on the Diode specifications:::

The current through the diodes (both the rectifier & Zener) may not have
exceeded 1A. This was also the maximum allowed circuit current.
Now, the maximum possible expected voltage across the resistance would be 35V.
Hence, the appropriate resistor would have to be able to dissipate:
P = iV = 1A35V = 35W
And, at a maximum current of 1A, the Resistance required is:
35W = 35
R = Pi2 = (1A)
2

It was unnecessary to acquire measurements across such a large interval of applied potential.
Thus, for the used equivalent resistance of 50, we only let the LABView program measure values
up to a maximum current of 0.4A (or 0.4W dissipated power).

Four 1N4007 rectifier diodes were in turn connected in the circuit, and voltage and current
measurements for each was collected as described below.
Lastly, a 5V1, 85C Zener diode was connected as shown in Figure 3, and voltage and current
measurements were also acquired as for the rectifier diodes.

Figure 3: Circuit used to measure Zener diode voltage and Zener diode current

The voltages were measured to a Data acquisition interface that had multiple channels. This
information was fed into a computer with leads, where a LABView instrument control vi could
capture and convert the measured values. The LABView virtual instrument consisted of a Stacked
sequence that contained a while Loop which controlled the power supply output real time. The
virtual instrument collected voltage measurements every 250 ms after a new applied voltage was
set, to allow the circuit component voltages to stabilize.
The collected diode voltage and the current through the circuit (and subsequently the diode) as
converted was exported and was plotted as Characteristic curves for each diode.
From the Zener diode characteristic in the forward bias region, a linearised plot was constructed
and manipulated to determine numerical values for the ideality factor and saturation current.

Results:
Below follow two constructed diode Characteristic plots that display the acquired diode currents
as functions of voltages across the diode for the four 1N4007 rectifier diodes and for the Zener

diode respectively. The voltages indicated on the plots are fully discussed in the Discussion
section.
Figure 4: Superimposed Diode Characteristic plots constructed from measured diode voltages
and currents for 4 1N4007 rectifier diodes obtained at 300 K

Below follows a figure where only the forward bias region of the above characteristic plot was
selectively considered in order to determine the Forward voltage at which the 1N4007 diode is
turned on.

Figure 5: Selected data plot of

Figure 3
Characteristics; Determination of the 'switch on' voltage
of a 1N4007 rectifier diode

Discussion
Thefouranalyzed1N4007rectifierdiodescanbeconsideredidenticalinsofarastheir
electricalbehaviourisconcerned.ThisiscorroboratedbyF
igure3
,wheretheseparately
obtainedcharacteristiccurvesofthefourdiodesoverlappedexactly.Thisalsoleadtothe
identificationofonecommonswitchonvoltage,asindicatedonF
igure4
,bythekneein
thegraphsectionoftheforwardbiasconnectedregion.
Switchonvoltage(forwardvoltage)forthe1N4007Rectifierdiode

0.79V.This

comparedreasonablywellwiththetheoreticalvalueofbetween0.7Vand1V(duetothe
1N4007diodesbeingmadefromsilicon).[
2]
Thevalueforthe1N4007diodesforwardvoltagealsocorrelateswellwiththe
Average
forwardvoltagedrop
valueof0.8Vfoundonthedatasheet.[
5]
FortheZenerdiode,theBreakdownreversebiasvoltagewasfoundtobe5.1V,from
figure6
.Thisagreesexactlywiththeexpectedvalueasobtainedfromthedatasheet.
[6]
Theswitchonvoltageforthe5V1Zenerdiodewasfoundtobe0.94V.

TheLinearfitthatwasascribedtotheZenerdiodesforwardbiasdatayieldedgoodvalues
fortheSaturationcurrentandidealityfactorascomparedton

1andI

1014
asdescribed
s
intheliterature.
[2]

Conclusion
The Characteristic Plots that were obtained yielded plausible results that correlated well with
theoretically expected plots in terms of shape and the forward voltage values (reverse breakdown
voltage in the case of the Zener diode).
The deviation in linearity as observed in
figure 7
, was ascribed to the fact that no real diode
exactly adheres to Shockleys law over all the current values through the diode. This is due to
phenomena like the recombination current in the junction that can alter the Diode characteristic
and deviate from the Shockley equation at lower and higher current values, causing deviations in
the linearly expected relationship between the natural logarithm of the diode current and the
voltage across it at the end points of the linearised plot as seen in
figure 7
.
[1]
Hence, with all the deviations legitimately accounted for, the five measured diodes were deemed
to be in good operating condition.

References:
th
[
1] Callister W. & Rethwisch,
Materials Science and Engineering
, 8
edition, Wiley, (2011),
pp 748, 749.
th
[2] Hambley A.R.,
Electrical Engineering Principles and Applications
, 5
edition, Prentice Hall,
(2011), pp 478 - 479

[3]
Van Zeghbroeck B.,
Principles of Semiconductor Devices
, Boulder,
(2011), pp 179
nd
[4] Taylor R. Et al.,
Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers
, 2
edition, Prentice Hall, pp
461-462

[5] Motorola inc., 1996,

1N4007 Datasheet

- Futurlec
.
[Online] Available from :
https://www.futurlec.com/Diodes/1N4007.shtml
[Accessed: 18/03/2014]

[6] EIC Discrete semiconductors, 2000, BZX85C Series SILICON ZENER DIODES [Online]
Available from:
http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheet/eic/BZX85C5V1.pdf
[Accessed
20/03/2014]