RAMCO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

Academic Year: 2016 - 2017 (Even Semester)

UNIVERSITY EXAM TWO MARKS WITH ANSWERS – UNIT - I

Degree, Semester & Branch: II Semester B.E. ECE B

Course Code & Title: EC6201 – Electronic Devices
Name of the Faculty member: Ms. G. Lakshmi Priya

1) Define electron volt. [MAY/JUNE 2014]

One eV is the amount of energy required by an electron when it is accelerated through
a potential difference of one volt (1V). The value of 1eV is equal to 1.602x10-19 J.
2) Sketch the forward bias characteristics of the PN junction diode. [APRIL/MAY 2015]

VF = Forward Voltage, IF = Forward Current

3) Define diffusion current and drift current. [NOV/DEC 2014, APRIL/MAY 2015]
(a) Drift current: The drift current is defined as the flow of electric current due to the
motion of charge carriers under the influence of an external electric field. The drift current is
given by: In = A q.n.µ n.E (due to free electrons)
Ip = A q.p.µ p.E (due to holes)
(b) Diffusion current: A concentration gradient exists if the number of either
electrons or holes is greater in one region of a semiconductor, compared to the rest of the
other region. The charge carriers tend to move from the region of higher concentration to that
of lower concentration of the same type of charge carriers. Then, the movement of charge
carriers takes place resulting in a current called diffusion current. The diffusion current is
given by,
𝐝𝐏
Ip = -qDP A (due to holes)
𝐝𝐗
𝐝𝐧
In = +qDn A (due to electrons)
𝐝𝐗
4) Draw the energy band diagram of semiconductor. [NOV/DEC 2013]

5) Define mass action law. [NOV/DEC 2010, MAY/JUNE 2014, NOV/DEC 2016]
Under thermal equilibrium for any semiconductor, the product of the number of holes
and the number of electrons is constant and is independent of the amount of donor and
acceptor impurity doping. This relation is known as mass-action law is given by,
n.p = ni2
6) Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors. [MAY/JUNE 2011,
MAY/JUNE 2013]
Intrinsic Semiconductor Extrinsic Semiconductor
A semiconductor in an extremely pure form The electrical conductivity of pure
is defined as intrinsic semiconductor or pure semiconductor can be increased by adding
semiconductor. some impurity into it. The resulting
semiconductor is called extrinsic
semiconductor or impure semiconductor.
The number of free electrons in the The number of free electrons and holes are
conduction band and the number of holes in never equal. There are excess of electrons in
the valence band are exactly equal and very N-type semiconductor and excess of holes in
small indeed. P-type semiconductor.
Its electrical conductivity is low Its electrical conductivity is high
Its electrical conductivity is a function of Its electrical conductivity depends upon the
temperature alone. temperature as well as on the quantity of
impurity atoms doped in the structure.
Examples: Crystalline forms of pure silicon Examples: Silicon and Germanium crystals
and germanium with impurity atoms of As, Sb, P etc. or In, B,
Al, etc.
7) Draw the energy band diagrams for intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors.

8) What is the principle of operation of a PN junction diode in reverse bias condition?

[MAY/JUNE 2014]

When reverse bias is applied to the PN junction, the holes in the P-side move towards
the negative terminal of the battery and electrons are attracted towards the positive terminal
of the battery. This increases the depletion width and hence, a very small current of the order
of few microamperes flows across the junction.
9) What is meant by PIV (Peak Inverse Voltage) of a PN junction diode?
[MAY/JUNE 2012]
The maximum reverse voltage by which a PN junction diode can withstand without
breakdown of the junction is called peak inverse voltage.
10) State the effect of temperature of PN junction diode. [NOV/DEC 2012]
The current through the PN junction diode increases with temperature as given by the
diode current equation, I = I0 [e (–V/ηVT) -1]
The reverse saturation current Io of diode increases
approximately 7 percent /oC, for both germanium and silicon.
11) What is diffusion capacitance? [NOV/DEC 2010, 2012, 2013]
The diffusion capacitance of forward biased diode is defined as the rate of change of
injected charge with voltage.
It can be defined as the capacitance caused at a PN junction due to injected charged
stored on both sides of the junction just outside the transition layer.
CD=dQ/dV = τI/ ηVT
Where I = Diode Current , η = 1 for Ge and 2 for Si
VT = Threshold Voltage
12) Give the expression for transition capacitance and diffusion capacitance of a PN
diode. [MAY/JUNE 2010, 2013]
A I
Transition Capactianc e, CT  , Diffusion Capacitanc e, C D 
W VT
13) Define avalanche breakdown. [MAY/JUNE 2010]
Under reverse bias condition, when the reverse voltage approaches a particular value
called breakdown voltage, the reverse current suddenly increases because the velocity of
thermally generated minority carriers increases and they cross the depletion region and
acquire sufficient kinetic energy from the applied potential to produce new charge carriers by
removing valence electrons from their bonds. These new carriers will in turn collide with
other atoms and will increase the number of electron-holes available for conduction. Because
of the cumulative increase in carrier density after each collision, this process is called
avalanche breakdown.
14) Write any two applications of Zener diode. [MAY/JUNE 2014]
 Voltage regulator
 Clippers in wave shaping circuits
 Fixed reference voltage in electronic circuits such as power supplies and transistor
biasing
 For controlling the output amplitude
15) What is Zener breakdown? [NOV/DEC 2011]
When the P and N regions are heavily doped, direct rupture of covalent bonds takes
place because of the strong electric field at the junction of PN diode. The new electron-hole
pair, so created, increases the reverse current in a reverse biased PN diode. As a result of
heavy doping of P and N regions, the depletion width becomes very small and the field across
the depletion region becomes very high and it is due to the ruptures of the covalent bond.
This breakdown is known as Zener breakdown.
16) List the application of PN junction diode. [NOV/DEC 2015]
 PN junction diodes are used as rectifiers in DC power supplies
 They are used as signal diodes in communication circuits for modulation and
demodulation
 They are used in clipper and clamper circuit
 They are used as a switch in logic circuit used in computers
17) Consider a silicon PN junction at T = 300K. The n type doping is and a forward bias
of 0.60 V is applied to PN junction. Calculate the minority hole concentration at the
edge of the space charge region. [APRIL/MAY 2015]

18) Consider a gallium arsenide sample at T=300K with doping concentration of N a =0,
Nd=10cm-3 and µn=8500. Calculate the drift current density if the applied electric field is
E = 10V/cm. [NOV/DEC 2015]

19) Consider a Si PN junction at T=300K with doping concentration of Na =1016cm-3,

Nd=1015cm-3. Calculate the width of the space charge region in a PN region, when a
reverse bias voltage of VR = 5V is applied.