1. Lecture #21 ANNOUNCEMENTS No coffee hour today 
Quiz #3 on Friday (March 9)
Material of HW #5 & #6 (Lectures 13-17)
Closed book, no calculators; 3 pages of notes allowed
OUTLINE
pn Junctions:
transient response: turn-on
Summary of important pn-diode concepts
pn diode applications
Reading: Chapters 8 & 9
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 1

2. Turn-On Transient Again, consider a p+n diode (Qp >> Qn): i(t)
Dpn(x) t
vA(t) x xn t
For t > 0:
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 2

3. By separation of variables and integration, we have
If we assume that the build-up of stored charge occurs quasi-statically so that
then
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 3

4. If tp is large, then the time required to turn on the diode is approximately DQ/IF
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 4

5. Summary of Important Concepts
Under forward bias, minority carriers are injected into the quasi-neutral regions of the diode
Current flowing across junction is comprised of hole and electron components
In order for one of these components to be dominant, the junction must be asymmetrically doped
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 5

6. Summary of Important Concepts (cont.)
The ideal diode equation stipulates the relationship between JN(-xp) and JP(xn)
If holes are forced to flow across a forward-biased junction, then electrons must also be injected across the junction
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 6

7. Summary of Important Concepts (cont.)
Under reverse bias, minority carriers are collected into the quasi-neutral regions of the diode
Minority carriers within a diffusion length of the depletion region will diffuse into the depletion region and then be swept across the junction by the electric field.
Current flowing in a reverse-biased diode depends on the rate at which minority carriers are supplied in the quasi-neutral regions
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 7

8. Varactor Diodes Voltage-controlled capacitor
Used in oscillators and detectors
(e.g. FM demodulation circuits in your radios)
Response changes by tailoring doping profile:
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 8

9. Tunnel Diodes Degenerately doped such that EFp < Ev and EFn > Ec
Can achieve negative differential resistance
useful in high-speed circuits and perhaps static memories
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 9

10. Tunnel Diodes (cont.)
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 10

11. Optoelectronic Diodes
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 11

12. EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 12

13. p-i-n Photodiodes
W  Wi-region, so most carriers are generated in the depletion region
 faster response time (~10 GHz operation)
Operate near avalanche to amplify signal
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 13

14. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
LEDs are typically made of compound semiconductors
(direct bandgap)
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 14

15. Organic LEDs Some organic materials exhibit semiconducting properties
OLEDs are attractive for low-cost, high-quality flat-panel displays
EE130 Lecture 21, Slide 15