Interpretation of Results

A. Demonstrate the dc characteristics of a zener diode.

A Zener Diode is a special kind of diode which permits current to
flow in the forward direction as normal, but will also allow it to
flow in the reverse direction when the voltage is above the
breakdown voltage or zener voltage. Zener diodes are designed
so that their breakdown voltage is much lower.
When a reverse current above the Zener voltage passes through a
Zener diode, there is a controlled breakdown which does not
damage the diode. The voltage drop across the Zener diode is
equal to the Zener voltage of that diode no matter how high the
reverse bias voltage is above the Zener voltage.
The Zener Diode goes through a number of different regions or
stages, of which are explained below.
The right half side of the characteristics curve is the part in which
the zener diode receives forward voltage, which is the positive
voltage across its anode to cathode terminals. The diode in this
region is in forward biased. During this period, the current is small
for a while until it spikes exponentially up once the voltage
reaches a certain point, called the threshold voltage.
The left half side of the characteristics curve is the more
important part, when considering zener diodes. This is the part in

which the zener diode receives positive voltage across its cathode
to anode terminals. The diode in this region is in reverse biased.
At first, when receiving reverse voltage, the current is very small.
There is only a small current, called the leakage current, flowing
through the diode. Once it hits the breakdown voltage, the current
drastically increases. This current is the called the avalanche
current, because it spikes so drastically up. The breakdown
voltage point is also important, not just because of the avalanche
current, but more importantly because once the voltage of the
zener diode has reached this point, it remains constant at this
voltage, even though the current across it may increase largely.
This makes the zener diode useful in applications such as voltage
regulation.
The zener diode has the important characteristic in that once the
voltage across a zener has reached this breakdown voltage, also
called a zener diode's zener voltage, VZ, the voltage that a zener
drops across itself will not continue to increase.

B. Demonstrate the use of the zener diode as a voltage

regulator.

The function of a regulator is to provide a constant output voltage

to a load connected in parallel with it in spite of the ripples in the
supply voltage or the variation in the load current and the zener
diode will continue to regulate the voltage until the diodes current
falls below the minimum IZ(min) value in the reverse breakdown
region. It permits current to flow in the forward direction as
normal, but will also allow it to flow in the reverse direction when
the voltage is above a certain value - the breakdown voltage
known as the Zener voltage. The Zener diode specially made to
have a reverse voltage breakdown at a specific voltage. Its
characteristics are otherwise very similar to common diodes. In
breakdown the voltage across the Zener diode is close to constant
over a wide range of currents thus making it useful as a shunt
voltage regulator.

The purpose of a voltage regulator is to maintain a constant

voltage across a load regardless of variations in the applied input
voltage and variations in the load current. The resistor is selected
so that when the input voltage is at V IN(min) and the load current is
at IL(max) that the current through the Zener diode is at least I z(min).
Then for all other combinations of input voltage and load current
the Zener diode conducts the excess current thus maintaining a
constant voltage across the load. The Zener conducts the least
current when the load current is the highest and it conducts the
most current when the load current is the lowest.

If there is no load resistance, shunt regulators can be used to

dissipate total power through the series resistance and the Zener
diode.

Shunt

regulators

have

an

inherent

current

limiting

advantage under load fault conditions because the series resistor

limits excess current.

A zener diode of break down voltage V z is reverse connected to

an input voltage source Vi across a load resistance RL and a series
resistor RS. The voltage across the zener will remain steady at its
break down voltage VZ for all the values of zener current IZ as long
as the current remains in the break down region. Hence a
regulated DC output voltage V0 = VZ is obtained across RL,
whenever the input voltage remains within a minimum and
maximum voltage.

Conclusion

diode,

in

electronics,

is

two

terminal

electronic

component with an asymmetric transfer characteristics, with

low resistance to current flow in one direction and high
resistance to current flow in the other direction. A semi-

conductor diode is the most common type diode, which is a

piece of semi-conductor material with a p-n junction
connected to two terminals.

A diode allow electric current to pass in forward direction and

block current in reverse direction. The behaviour of a diode
in a circuit is given by its I-V characteristics. The shape of the
curve is determined by the transport of charge carriers
through

the

depletion

layer

that

exist

at

the

p-n

junction. When a p-n junction is first cretaed, diffusion of

holes and electrons take place through the junction. As
recombination proceeds, more ions are created at the
junction and a built-in potential is developed at the depletion
zone.

If a voltage of same polarity as that of built-in potential is

applied across the junction, depletion zone acts as an
insulator, preventing significant current flow through the
junction. This is the reverse bias phenomenon.

A zener diode is always operated in its reverse biased

condition. A voltage regulator circuit can be designed using a
zener diode to maintain a constant DC output voltage across

the load in spite of variations in the input voltage or changes

in the load current. The zener voltage regulator consists of a
current limiting resistor RS connected in series with the input
voltage VS with the zener diode connected in parallel with
the load RL in this reverse biased condition. The stabilized
output voltage is always selected to be the same as the
breakdown voltageVZ of the diode.

References

http://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Zener-diode-IVcharacteristics-curve
http://www.docircuits.com/lab-manual/60/vi-characteristics-ofzener-diode
http://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=1&brch=282&sim=1207&cnt=1
http://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=1&brch=282&sim=1522&cnt=1
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/diode/diode_7.html