Activities/Assessments:

1. Enumerate the different types of special purpose diode and give its functions.
a. Zener Diode- it is a special purpose diode designed to operate during its reverse bias condition. It is used for
voltage regulation, as reference elements, surge suppressors, and in switching applications and clipper
circuits.
b. Light Emitting Diode (LED)- a diode used to convert electrical energy directly into light, delivering efficient
light generation with little-wasted electricity.
c. Schottky Diode- it is used for their low turn-on voltage, fast recovery time and low-loss energy at higher
frequencies. It can also be connected across the collector and base terminal of transistor to improve the
switching time of the device.
d. Varactor Diode- used mainly in radio frequency or RF circuits to provide voltage controlled variable
capacitance. These electronic components can be used in a whole variety of ways where a capacitance level
needs to be controlled by a voltage.
e. PIN Diode- used for converting the light energy into the electrical energy. Can also be used as an RF switch,
High voltage rectifier and photodetector.
f. Tunnel Diode-  it acts as logic memory storage device. They are used in oscillator circuits, and in FM
receivers. It can also be used as a switch, amplifier, and oscillator.
g. Laser Diode - is a special diode designed to convert electrical energy in a form of light.

2. Discuss in your own words the constructions of the following Special Purpose diode: Zener Diode, Varactor
Diode, Schottky Diode, Laser Diode, Light Emitting Diode, and PIN Diode.
a. Zener Diode- Here, N and P substrate are diffused together. The junction region is covered with a layer of
silicon dioxide (SiO2). At the same time during construction, the whole assembly is metallized in order to
generate anode and cathode connection. The layer of SiO2 helps to prevent contamination of the junctions.
Thus, is used in the construction of Zener diode.
b. Varactor Diode- consists of p-type and n-type semiconductor layers sandwiched together, with the n-type
layer attached to a mesa (table-shaped) structure. A gold plated molybdenum stud is connected to n-type
layer via the mesa structure and it acts as cathode terminal.
c. Schottky Diode- made of a metal and semiconductor forming unilateral junction. Few metals like gold, silver,
molybdenum, tungsten or platinum are utilized. Usually an N type semiconductor, which includes Gallium, is
used. Silicon is used for low frequency operation.
d. Laser Diode- uses gallium arsenide doped with elements such as selenium, aluminium, or silicon to produce
P type and N type semiconductor materials. While a laser diode has an additional active layer of undoped
(intrinsic) gallium arsenide have the thickness only a few nanometers, sandwiched between the P and N
layers, effectively creating a PIN diode (P type-Intrinsic-N type). It is in this layer that the laser light is
produced.
e. Light Emitting Diode- made by depositing the three layers of semiconductor material on a substrate. These
three semiconductor material layers are made three regions which are called a P-type region which is top
one, active region which is middle one and N-type region which is bottom one.
f. PIN Diode- a 3-layer device composed of p region, n region and intrinsic region. P region is formed by doping
trivalent impurity to the semiconductor. And the n region is formed when the pentavalent impurity is doped
to the semiconductor material. The region of an intrinsic semiconductor is nothing but the undoped
semiconductor material.

3. Solve at least two circuit’s problems (Mathematical Analysis) regarding Special Purpose Diodes.
a. A 6.2 V Zener is rated at 1 watt. The maximum safe current the Zener can carry is?

Given:

Pmax = 1 Watt

Vz = 6.2 Volts

Answer:

Pmax = Vz Imax

1W = (6.2V) Imax

1W/6.2V = Imax

Imax = 0.161A or 161ma

b. The circuit uses two zener diodes, each rated at 15 V, 200 mA. If the circuit is connected to a 45-volt
unregulated supply, determine the regulated output voltage and the value of series resistance R.

Given:

Current Rating of each Zener, Iz = 200 mA

Voltage Rating of each Zener, Vz = 15V

Input voltage, Ei = 45V

Answer:

Regulated output voltage, Eo = 15 + 15 = 30V

Eo = 30V

Series resistance, R = (Ei-Eo)/Iz = (45-30)/200mA = 15V/200mA = 75Ω

R = 75Ω
4. Give a circuit application of the following Special Purpose Diode. Sketch the circuit and discuss how it operates.
Zener Diode, Laser Diode, Varactor Diode, Tunnel Diode and Light Emitting Diode.

a. Zener Diode

 Single diode clipper circuit

During positive input the diode conducts in its
reverse bias condition. The output voltage is equal
to VZ. During negative input voltage the diode is in
forward condition and acts as an ordinary diode.

 Double clipping circuit

During positive voltage DZ2 conducts in reverse condition while diode DZ1
conducts in forward bias condition while during negative voltage DZ1
conducts in reverse bias condition while DZ2 in forward condition.

 Voltage Regulator
The zener diode conduct and produce an
output voltage equal to the voltage of the
zener VZ. The total current of the circuit is
equal to VDC minus the Vz divided by Rs and
the current of the load resistor RL is equal to
Vz divided by RL

b. Laser diode

 Laser Diode driver Circuit

A circuit which is used to limit the
current and then supplies to the Laser
Diode, so it can work properly. If we
directly connect it to the supply, due to
more current it will damage. If current is
low then it will not operate, because of
not having sufficient power to start. So, a
 driver circuit is needed to provide a correct value of current by which Laser Diode comes into operating
condition.

c. Varactor Diode

 Voltage Controlled Oscillators

The oscillator can be allowed by changing the’ D1’ diode. The

capacitor C1 is used to stop the reverse bias for the varactor diode,
also neglects the diode getting short-circuited through the inductor.
The diode can be adjusted by applying bias through an R1 resistor
(isolating series resistor).

 RF Filter/Frequency Multiplier

The varactor diodes can be used in the RF filters to tune. In the

receive front end circuits, tracking filters may be crucial. These
diodes allow the filters to follow the frequency of the incoming
received signal which can be restricted using a control voltage.
Usually, this is offered by microprocessor control through the DAC.

d. Tunnel Diode

 Oscillator Circuit

The tunnel diode helps in generating a very high frequency signal

of nearly 10GHz. A practical tunnel diode circuit may consist of a
switch S, a resistor R and a supply source V, connected to a tank
circuit through a tunnel diode D.

e. Light Emitting Diode

 LED driver circuits

The circuit must provide sufficient current to

light the LED at the required brightness, but
must limit the current to prevent damaging
the LED. The voltage drop across an LED is
 approximately constant over a wide range of operating current; therefore, a small increase in applied
voltage greatly increases the current.

5. Analyze how the tunnel diode operates give emphasis on tunneling effect.
 Tunnel diode exhibit a negative resistance when a forward voltage is applied across the P-N junction.
Meaning the current on the diode decrease when voltage is increase.
 Tunneling effect means that there is a flow of electrons across the small depletion region from N side
conduction band to a P side valence band. This tunneling effect is happening in heavily doped
semiconductor materials.

6. Explain how a Laser diode operates give emphasis to light absorption, spontaneous Emission and Stimulated
Emission.
 The laser diode is made up of two doped gallium arsenide layers for P and N type materials joined
together. In gallium arsenide diodes, the release of energy in recombination process is in the form of
light or photons. Whereas the silicon diode recombination is not in form of photons. The main steps
required for producing a coherent beam of light in lasers diodes are:
Light absorption- the process of absorbing energy from the external energy sources. A dc source is apply
on a material which cause the electrons to jump to a higher level the conduction band leaving in the
valence band a hole.
Spontaneous emission- the process of emitting light or photons naturally while electrons falling to the
lower energy state. The electrons in valence band are in the lower energy state. When these electrons
reach conduction band they leave the valence band with free holes. Meaning the free electrons in the
conduction band has a higher energy level compares with the holes in valence band.
Stimulated emission- special kind of interaction of a photon with an electron on an "excited" energy
level (=electron in the conduction band for semiconductors). A photon that happens to "fly by"
then stimulates the recombination and thus the emission of a second photon. The way this happens is
always such that the emitted photon is "identical" to the photon stimulating its generation - same
energy, same direction, same phase.

7. Design an application circuit of Laser diode. Explain

its operation

 In fiber optic circuit technology an

optical fiber link is used for transferring
digital or analogue data in the form
light frequency through a cable which
has a highly reflective central core.
Internally, the optical fiber consists of a
highly reflective central core, which acts
like a light guide for transferring light
through it by means of continuous to
and from reflections across its reflective
walls. The optical link normally includes
an electrical frequency to light
frequency converter circuit, which converts digital or audio signals into light frequency. This light frequency
is "injected" to one of the ends of the optical fiber through a powerful LED. The light is then allowed to
travel through the optical cable to the intended destination, where it is received by a photocell and
an amplifier circuit which converts the light frequency back to the original digital form or audio frequency
form.