Ideal Diode Equation

Topics of This Lecture

Ideal Diode Equation
Its origins
Current versus Voltage (I-V) characteristics
How to calculate the magnitude of the variables in
the equation using real data
What the limitations of this equation are
How it is used in PSpice simulations

P-N junctions
The voltage developed
across a p-n junction
caused by
the diffusion of electrons
from the n-side of the
junction into the p-side and
the diffusion of holes from
the p-side of the junction
into the n-side

Built-in Voltage

kT N D N A

f
ln
2

q ni

Reminder
Drift currents only flow when there is an
electric field present.
Diffusion currents only flow when there is a
concentration difference for either the
electrons or holes (or both).

I ndrift qA n nE
I pdrift qA p pE
I

drift

Aq n n p p E

diff
n

dn
qADn n qADn
dx

diff
p

diff

dp
qAD p p qAD p
dx
diff
diff
I n I p qADnn D p p

I T I diff I drift

Symbol for Diode

Biasing a Diode
When Va > 0V, the diode is forward biased
When Va < 0V, the diode is reverse biased

When the applied voltage (Va) is zero

The diode voltage and current are equal to zero
on average
Any electron that diffuses through the depletion
region from the n-side to the p-side is
counterbalanced by an electron that drifts from the pside to the n-side
Any hole that diffuses through the depletion region
from the p-side to the n-side is counterbalanced by an
hole that drifts from the n-side to the p-side
So, at any one instant (well under a nanosecond), we may
measure a diode current. This current gives rise to one of
the sources of electronic noise.

Schematically

Modified from B. Van Zeghbroech, Principles of Semiconductor Devices

http://ece-www.colorado.edu/~bart/book/

Applied voltage is less than zero

The energy barrier between the p-side and n-side
of the diode became larger.
It becomes less favorable for diffusion currents to flow
It become more favorable for drift currents to flow
The diode current is non-zero
The amount of current that flows across the p-n junction
depends on the number of electrons in the p-type material
and the number of holes in the n-type material
Therefore, the more heavily doped the p-n junction is the smaller
the current will be that flows when the diode is reverse biased

Schematically

Modified from B. Van Zeghbroech, Principles of Semiconductor Devices

http://ece-www.colorado.edu/~bart/book/

Plot of I-V of Diode with Small

Negative Applied Voltage

Applied Voltage is greater than zero

The energy barrier between the p-side and n-side of
the diode became smaller with increasing positive
applied voltage until there is no barrier left.
It becomes less favorable for drift currents to flow
There is no electric field left to force them to flow

There is nothing to prevent the diffusion currents to flow

The diode current is non-zero
The amount of current that flows across the p-n junction depends
on the gradient of electrons (difference in the concentration)
between the n- and p-type material and the gradient of holes
between the p- and n-type material
The point at which the barrier becomes zero (the flat-band condition)
depends on the value of the built-in voltage. The larger the built-in
voltage, the more applied voltage is needed to remove the barrier.
It takes more applied voltage to get current to flow for a heavily
doped p-n junction

Schematically

Modified from B. Van Zeghbroech, Principles of Semiconductor Devices

http://ece-www.colorado.edu/~bart/book/

Plot of I-V of Diode with Small Positive

Applied Voltage

Ideal Diode Equation

Empirical fit for both the negative and positive
I-V of a diode when the magnitude of the
applied voltage is reasonably small.


I D I S e

qVD
nkT

Ideal Diode Equation

Where
ID and VD are the diode current and voltage, respectively
q is the charge on the electron
n is the ideality factor: n = 1 for indirect semiconductors (Si, Ge, etc.)
n = 2 for direct semiconductors (GaAs, InP, etc.)
k is Boltzmanns constant
T is temperature in Kelvin
kT/q is also known as Vth, the thermal voltage. At 300K (room temperature),
kT/q = 25.9mV

Simplification
When VD is negative

I D ~ I S
When VD is positive

ID ~ ISe

qVD
nkT

To Find n and IS
Using the curve tracer, collect the I-V of a
diode under small positive bias voltages
Plot the I-V as a semi-log
The y-intercept is equal to the natural log of the
reverse saturation current
The slope of the line is proportional to 1/n

q
ln I D
VD ln I S
nkT

Example

Questions
How does the I-V characteristic of a heavily
doped diode differ from that of a lightly doped
diode?
Why does the I-V characteristics differ?
For any diode, how does the I-V characteristic
change as temperature increases?
For the same doping concentration, how does the
I-V characteristic of a wide bandgap (EG)
semiconductor compare to a narrow bandgap
semiconductor (say GaAs vs. Si)?

What the Ideal Diode Equation Doesnt

Explain
I-V characteristics under large forward and
reverse bias conditions
Large current flow when at a large negative
voltage (Breakdown voltage, VBR)
Linear relationship between ID and VD at
reasonably large positive voltages (Va > f)

VBR or VZ
Slope = 1/RS

Slope = 1/rz

Von

Nonideal (but real) I-V Characteristic

Need another model
Modifications to Ideal Diode Equation are used in
PSpice
We will see this in the list of parameters in the device
model

We will use a different model

It is called the Piecewise Model

PSpice
Simplest diode model in PSpice uses only the
ideal diode equation
More complex diode models in PSpice include:
Parasitic resistances to account for the linear regions
Breakdown voltage with current multipliers to map
the knee between Io and the current at breakdown
Temperature dependences of various parameters
Parasitic capacitances to account for the frequency
dependence

Capture versus Schematics

It doesnt matter to me which you use
I find Schematics easier, but the lab encourages
the use of Capture

PSpice Schematics

Device Parameters
*** Power Diode ***

Type of Diode

.MODEL D1N4002-X D

Part Number

( IS=14.11E-9

Reverse Saturation Current

N=1.984

Ideality Factor

RS=33.89E-3

Forward Series Resistance

IKF=94.81

High-Level Injection Knee Current in Forward Bias

XTI=3

Temperature Dependence of Reverse Saturation Current

EG=1.110

Energy Bandgap of Si

CJO=51.17E-12

Junction Capacitance at Zero Applied Bias

M=.2762

Grading Coefficient Inversely Proportional to Zener Resistance

VJ=.3905

Turn-on Voltage

FC=.5

Coefficient Associated with Forward Bias Capacitance

ISR=100.0E-12

Reverse Saturation Current During Reverse Bias

NR=2

Ideality Factor During Reverse Bias

BV=100.1

Breakdown Voltage

IBV=10

Current at Breakdown Voltage

TT=4.761E-6 )

Transit Time of Carriers Across p-n Juntion

PSpice Capture

Editing Device Model

The device parameters can be changed, but will only
be changes for the file that you are currently working
on.
In Schematics, the changes only apply to the specific part
that you had highlighted when you made the changes.
In Capture, the changes apply to all components in the file
that share the same part model.
To simulate the Ideal Diode Equation, you can delete the
other parameters or set them to zero or a very large
number, depending on what would be appropriate to
remove their effect from the simulation

Important Points of This Lecture

There are several different techniques that can
be used to determine the diode voltage and
current in a circuit
Ideal diode equation
Results are acceptable when voltages applied to diode
are comparable or smaller than the turn-on voltage and
more positive than about 75-90% of the breakdown
voltage

Piecewise model
Results are acceptable when voltage applied to the
diode are large in magnitude when comparable to the
turn-on voltage and the breakdown voltage.

 Embedded in the Ideal Diode Equation are

dependences on
Temperature
Doping concentration of p and n sides
Semiconductor material
Bandgap energy
Direct vs. indirect bandgap

PSpice diode model using Ideal Diode Eq.

User can edit diode model
Diode model can also be more complex to include
deviations from Ideal Diode Eq. such as frequency
dependence of operation