What causes a depletion region in diode?
The depletion region is caused by the diffusion of charges. Because of the concentration gradient holes diffuse from p-side to the n-side across the junction while electrons diffuse from the n-side to the p-side. The holes and the electrons diffusing towards each other combine near the junction.
What is the depletion region of a diode?
A region in a semiconductor device, usually at the juncture of P-type and N-type materials, in which there is neither an excess of electrons nor of holes. Large depletion regions inhibit current flow. See also semiconductor diode.
On what factors depletion region depends?
The width of depletion region is depends on the amount of impurities added to the semiconductor. Impurities are the atoms (pentavalent and trivalent atoms) added to the semiconductor to improve its conductivity. On the other hand, if trivalent atoms are added to the pure semiconductor, a p-type semiconductor is formed.
What does the depletion region consist of?
This region of uncovered positive and negative ions is called the depletion region due to the depletion of carriers in this region. The depletion region is so named because it is formed from a conducting region by removal of all free charge carriers, leaving none to carry a current.
How is depletion region calculated?
Putting x = 0 in the above equation for electric field and setting the two values of E equal to each other gives: NAxp = NDxn. This equation makes physical sense since it states that the total charge on one side of the junction must be the same as the total charge on the other.
How does the depletion region behave?
In the depletion region, an electric field exists that quickly sweeps out electron-hole pairs that may be thermally generated and reduces the equilibrium concentration of the charge carriers to exceedingly low levels. This region, called the depletion layer, behaves as an insulator.
What does depletion region mean?
Depletion region. In semiconductor physics , the depletion region, also called depletion layer, depletion zone, junction region, space charge region or space charge layer, is an insulating region within a conductive, doped semiconductor material where the mobile charge carriers have diffused away, or have been forced away by an electric field.
What is depletion capacitance?
Depletion Capacitance: The junction capacitance is overriding under the conditions of reverse-bias and the charge storage capacitance is overriding if the junction is forward biased. In several applications of p-n junctions, for usefulness of the device the capacitance is a limiting factor.
What is depletion layer?
depletion layer. n. (Electronics) electronics a region at the interface between dissimilar zones of conductivity in a semiconductor, in which there are few charge carriers.