Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A silicon diode follows the equation with , pA and mV at 300 K. A designer wants to know how the diode behaves in a small circuit that drives the diode with mA. Find the voltage that must be applied across the diode for a current of mA. Find the dynamic resistance at this current. Find the current at V. Last, find the extra voltage that raises the current by a factor of ten, for example from mA to mA. This number is a standard rule: the forward voltage grows by a nearly fixed amount for each tenfold rise in current. The in the equation is negligible in the forward direction.
A p-n junction has a depletion layer of width and a barrier . A forward bias lowers the barrier to , and a reverse bias raises it to . The diode equation is , with at 300 K. A conducting silicon diode drops about V.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. and V.
Plan. Use the equation turned round for the voltage, the slope for the dynamic resistance, and the equation itself for the current.
Step 1. The voltage. .
Step 2. The dynamic resistance. .
Step 3. The current at V. mA.
Step 4. A tenfold rise. If becomes , the voltage rises by mV.
Answer: V, , mA and mV.
Check. The diode drop of V is close to the common value of V. Because the voltage changes by only mV for a tenfold change in current, the drop stays between V and V over a wide range. That is why the constant drop model works.
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