IEEEs
HandsonPracticalElectronics(HOPE)
Lesson6:PNJunctions,Diodes,SolarCells
LastWeek
Silicon(Si)Semiconductor
BreadboardsConvenienttoolstobuildcircuits
quickly
ThisWeek
PNJunctions
ReviewofPandNtype
Whattheyare
Howtheyareused
Diodes
LEDs
SolarCells
Review:Doping
Rememberfromlastweek:
Ptypesilicon
Heavilydopedwithelementslikeboron
Lotsofholes(positivechargecarriers)
Ntypesilicon
Heavilydopedwithelementslikearsenicor
phosphorous
Lotsofelectrons(negativechargecarriers)
PNJunctions
ThecombinationofPtypeandNtypesemiconductors
togetherinveryclosecontactisaPNJunction.
Thiscanbecreatedbydopingonesideofsiliconp
typeandonesidentype.
Note: You cannot just put a p-type and n-type next to
each other and call it a PN junction, they must be
connected atomically.
PNJunctions
APNJunctionisalsocalledadiode.
DiodeUsage
Diodesareusedto
preventcurrentfromflowinginthewrongdirection
preventtoomuchcurrentfromflowingina
direction
indicateifthereiscurrentflowing(LEDs)
Therearemanyothertypesofdiodesusedfor
specificpurposes,forexamplegolddopeddiodes
anddiodesdesignedtoworkinreversebreakdown
See:[Link]
PNJunctions
P-type has more positive
charges (holes) and n-type
has more negative charges
(electrons).
They diffuse and reach
equilibrium. (Remember
basic chemistry.)
Things move from higher
concentrations to lower
concentrations.
DepletionRegion
Free electrons flow from the
N side (which has an excess
of electrons) to the P side
(which has a lack of
electrons, or an excess of
holes).
At equilibrium, a depletion
region exists in between the
p-type and n-type areas.
That area is depleted of
charge carriers so cannot
conduct current.
LEDs
LEDsarediodeswhich
emitlightwhenthereis
currentflowingthroughit.
ByforwardbiasingaLED
itlightsup,nobiasingor
reversebiasingleavethe
LEDoff.
DiodeBiasing
Reverse:
ConnectthePsidetotheterminalandtheNsidetothe+terminal.
Thiscauseselectronsandholestomoveawayfromthejunction,and
lesscurrentflowsthroughthediode.
Zero(equilibrium):
Nobatteryisconnected.
Theelectronsandholesdontflowinaparticulardirection,sono
currentflowsthroughthediode.
Forward:
ConnectthePsidetothe+terminalandtheNsidetotheterminal.
Thiscauseselectronsandholestomovetowardthejunction,and
morecurrentflowsthroughthediode.
LEDs
LED=LightEmittingDiode
Diodesthatlightupwhencurrentflowsthroughit
LEDsonlyallowcurrenttogothroughitinone
direction
Byforwardbiasingan
Current Flows
LED,[Link]
biasingorreversebiasing
leavestheLEDoff.
ForwardBiasing
Haveyoubiaseddiodes
inotherlessons?
Rememberweek1?
ForwardBiasing
HowdoesforwardbiasingkeepanLEDon?
Itneverreachesequilibrium,byforcingelectronsin
throughthensideandlettingthemleavethepside.
ReverseBiasing
Reversebiasingadiodeis
donebyinsertingthe+endof
thebatteryclosertonsideof
diode(LEDisoff)
Thedepletionregiongrows Thedepletionregionis
chargeneutralandthisnon
whenyoureversebiasthe
conductive
LED,andnocurrentflows
LEDs
LED=LightEmittingDiode
Howtheywork:
The electrons moving through the diode either
cause heat, or light. Engineers design specific
diodes to emit more light, hence the name light
emitting diode (LED)
LEDsarecolorful
FROM WIKIPEDIA: Conventional LEDs are made from a variety of inorganic semiconductor materials,
producing the following colors:
Aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) - red and infrared
Aluminum gallium phosphide (AlGaP) green
Aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP) - high-brightness orange-red, orange, yellow, and
green
Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) - red, orange-red, orange, and yellow
Gallium phosphide (GaP) - red, yellow and green
Gallium nitride (GaN) - green, pure green (or emerald green), and blue also white (if it has an AlGaN
Quantum Barrier)
Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) - near ultraviolet, bluish-green and blue
Silicon carbide (SiC) as substrate blue
Silicon (Si) as substrate blue (under development)
Sapphire (Al2O3) as substrate blue
Zinc selenide (ZnSe) - blue
Diamond (C) - ultraviolet
Aluminum Nitride (AlN), aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) - near to far ultraviolet (down to 210
nm)
LEDUsage
Willbediscussedfurtherinafuturelecture
Usedtogeneratelight(hencethelightemitting
part)
Moreefficientthanincandescentbulbs!
Difficulttobreakbydropping.(trythatwithalightbulb)
Usedanywherewheretheyneedtogeneratelight
Bikelights
Carbrakelights
LEDUsage
LEDshavemanyotheradvantages:
AnLEDsemittedlightcanbedirected;noparabolicmirrors
arenecessarytofocuslight
Theircolordoesnotchangewhiledimming
Lastabout3x30xlongerthanfluorescentbulbs
LEDsachievefullbrightnessinmicroseconds
LEDscanbeprintedonacircuitboard
LEDsdonthaveMercury!(somefluorescentlampsdo)
SomeofyouprobablyhaveanLEDonyourkeychain
SolarCells
Ifweusecurrenttoemitlight,canweusethe
reverseprocess?(uselighttocreatecurrent?)
[Link].
Solarcellsuselightandgeneratecurrent.
SolarCell
AlsoderivedfromaPNjunction
SolarCells
The atoms in a PN
junction in equilibrium
are usually at rest
But when struck by a
photon, an electron /
hole pair is freed
SolarCells
The free electron and hole
created by the photon are
now free to travel though
the circuit.
This only works in a
semiconductor as the
electrons are not held too
tightly.
Usage
SolarCellsareusedtogenerateelectricity
[Link]
CalSolisaBerkeleyssolarcarracingteam
[Link]