Semiconductor Devices and

Circuits (ECE1002)

© Dr. Sangeetha R.G 1

Module:4 Diode Applications (3)

Rectifier circuits, Clipper and Clamper circuits, Photodiode and

LED circuits.

© Dr. Sangeetha R.G 2

 Rectifier Circuits

© Dr. Sangeetha R.G 3

• Rectification is a process of converting an
alternating voltage into one that is limited one
polarity
Can you guess how diode can be used for this?
• Current exists for one voltage polarity but is
essentially zero for opposite polarity
• Classification: (a)Half wave (b)Full wave

© Dr. Sangeetha R.G 4

 Figure 2.2 2-5
Diode in series with ac power source: (a) circuit and (b) voltage transfer
characteristics

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Figure 2.3
2-6
Half-wave rectifier circuit: (a) Sinusoidal input voltage, (b) output voltage, and (c)
diode voltage

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Figure 2.6 2-7
Full-wave rectifier: (a) circuit with center-tapped transformer, (b) voltage transfer
characteristics, and (c) input and output waveforms

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 2-8

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Figure 2.7 2-9
A full-wave bridge rectifier: (a) circuit showing the current direction for a positive input
cycle, (b) current direction for a negative input cycle, and (c) input and output voltage
waveforms

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Figure 2.19 2-10

Single-diode clipper: (a) circuit and (b) output response

McGraw-Hill Copyright © 2001 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Diode Clippers

The diode in a series clipper “clips”

any voltage that does not forward
bias it:
•A reverse-biasing polarity
•A
 forward-biasing polarity less than
0.7 V (for a silicon diode)

11
Biased Clippers

Adding a DC source in
series with the clipping
diode changes the
effective forward bias of
the diode.

12
Parallel Clippers

The diode in a parallel clipper

circuit “clips” any voltage that
forward bias it.

DC biasing can be added in

series with the diode to change
the clipping level.

13
Summary of Clipper Circuits

more…

14
Summary of Clipper Circuits

15