Lecture 14: Zener Diode and its Applications
A major application for zener diodes is as a type of
voltage regulator for providing stable reference
voltages for use in power supplies, voltmeters, and
other instruments.
For example if you want to fix the output voltage at
5 V in the circuit, while the input voltage varies
from 4.8 V to 25 V, you must use zener type
1N4733A. The zener diode is available in the range
of 1 to 200 volts.
Another advantage for zener diode, it uses as a
simple limiters or clippers for ac sources.
The symbol for a zener diode is shown in Figure 52.
Instead of a straight line representing the cathode,
the zener diode has a bent line that reminds you of
the letter Z (for zener).
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Figure 52: Zener diode symbol.
A zener diode is a silicon pn junction device that is
designed for operation in the reverse-breakdown
region. The breakdown voltage of a zener diode is
set by carefully controlling the doping level during
manufacture. Recall, from the discussion of the
diode characteristic curve, that when a diode reaches
reverse breakdown, its voltage remains almost
constant even though the current changes
drastically, and this is the key to zener diode
operation. This volt-ampere characteristic is shown
again in Figure 53 with the normal operating region
for zener diodes shown as a shaded area.
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Figure 53: General zener diode V-I characteristic.
Breakdown Characteristics
Figure 54 shows the reverse portion of a zener
diode’s characteristic curve. Notice that as the
reverse voltage (VR) is increased, the reverse current
(IR) remains extremely small up to the “knee” of the
curve. The reverse current is also called the zener
current, IZ. At this point, the breakdown effect
begins; the internal zener resistance, also called
zener impedance (ZZ), begins to decrease as the
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reverse current increases rapidly. From the bottom
of the knee, the zener breakdown voltage (VZ)
remains essentially constant although it increases
slightly as the zener current, Iz, increases.
Figure 54: Reverse characteristic of a zener
diode. VZ is usually specified at a value of
the zener current known as
the test current.
Zener Regulation
The ability to keep the reverse voltage across its
terminals essentially constant is the key feature of
the zener diode.
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A zener diode operating in breakdown acts as a
voltage regulator because it maintains a nearly
constant voltage across its terminals over a specified
range of reverse-current values.
A minimum value of reverse current, IZK, must be
maintained in order to keep the diode in breakdown
for voltage regulation.
You can see on the curve in Figure 54 above, that
when the reverse current is reduced below the knee
of the curve, the voltage decreases drastically and
regulation is lost. Also, there is a maximum current,
IZM, above which the diode may be damaged due to
excessive power dissipation. So, basically, the zener
diode maintains a nearly constant voltage across its
terminals for values of reverse current ranging from
IZK to IZM. A nominal zener voltage, VZ, is usually
specified on a datasheet at a value of reverse current
called the zener test curret, IZ .
Zener Equivalent Circuits
Figure 55 shows the ideal model (first
approximation) of a zener diode in reverse
breakdown and its ideal characteristic curve. It has a
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constant voltage drop equal to the nominal zener
voltage.
Figure 55: Ideal zener diode equivalent circuit
model and the characteristic curve.
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circuit and the characteristic curve illustrating ZZ.
Zener Regulation with a Variable Input Voltage
To illustrate regulation, let’s use the ideal model of
the 1N4740A zener diode (ignoring the zener
resistance) in the circuit of Figure below. The
absolute lowest current that will maintain regulation
is specified at IZK, which for the 1N4740A is 0.25
mA and represents the no-load current. The
maximum current is not given on the datasheet but
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can be calculated from the power specification of 1
W, which is given on the datasheet. Zener diodes are
specified to operate at a maximum power called the
maximum power dissipation, PD(max).
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Example:
Determine the minimum and the maximum input
voltages that can be regulated by the zener diode in
Figure below, where VZ = 5.1 V at IZ = 49 mA, IZ K =
1 mA ZZ = 7 Ω, for simplicity, assume this value
of Zz over the range of current values.
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Solution:
The equivalent circuit is shown in Figure below.
H
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Review Questions:
1. What is the zener diode and what are its
advantages?
2. In what region of their characteristic curve are
zener diodes operated?
3. At what value of zener current is the zener
voltage normally specified?
4. How does the zener impedance affect the voltage
across the terminals of the device?
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