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Fayyaz Ahmed
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Why don't we consider the current produced by voltage source in plotting reverse bias characteristics?if this current is considered then the saturation current will depend on the the external voltage.
But if we see the cross section of the diode then we can clearly see that the junction will help the carriers from the source to pass through it easily which hence increase the overall current.Averagesupernova said:While there is typically a very small current when a diode is reverse biased it is typically ignored. There is a voltage where the device breaks down and conducts but in general purpose diodes this is not desirable as it destroys the diode. A zener diode is a type of diode where this reverse breakdown is often desirable as part of the design. A lot of people think of a zener diode as an ordinatry diode that is able to survive breakdown. So in an ordinary diode as long as the voltage does not exceed the reverse breakdown spec, miniscule current will flow in reverse no matter how much current the supply is able to source.
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Here is one of the first hits google provided me. Looks to be some learning material here: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/diodes/real-diode-characteristics
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Something of interest, I recall helping out in a design of a product that needed a very very high impedance to ground in one part of the circuit, yet not a complete open circuit. At times there could be enough leakage on the circuit board to satisfy this but it was certainly no guarantee. Resistors in the megohm range that we needed were next to impossible to obtain. The solution was to use a diode. It had just enough guaranteed leakage resistance to satisfy our needs.
Reverse bias in a semiconductor diode is a condition in which the positive terminal of a power supply is connected to the N-type material and the negative terminal is connected to the P-type material. This creates a high resistance barrier at the PN junction, preventing current flow through the diode.
Under reverse bias, the diode does not conduct electricity. The majority carriers in the N and P regions are pushed away from the junction, creating a depletion region with no free carriers. This results in a high resistance barrier that prevents current flow.
Reverse bias is important because it allows the diode to act as a one-way valve for current. This is essential for rectifying AC signals and converting them to DC. It also plays a crucial role in other applications, such as in photovoltaic cells and zener diodes.
The reverse breakdown voltage is the maximum reverse bias voltage that a diode can handle before it breaks down and begins to conduct in the reverse direction. This is an important parameter to consider when selecting a diode for a specific application.
Under reverse bias, the diode's behavior is determined by its reverse bias characteristics. This includes the leakage current, reverse breakdown voltage, and capacitance. It also affects the diode's ability to withstand high voltages and its overall performance in different applications.