COMPLETE V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF A DIODE



 The complete V-I characteristics of a diode is the combination of its forward as well as reverse characteristics.

In forward characteristics, it is seen that initially forward current is small as long as the bias voltage is less than the barrier potential.


At  a certain  voltage close to  barrier  potential, current increases rapidly.  The voltage  at  which  diode  current  starts  increasing  rapidly  is  called  as  cut  in voltage. It is denoted by V

Below this voltage, current is less than 1% of maximum rated value of diode current. The cut-in voltage for germanium is about 0.2V while for silicon it is 0.6 V.

The  voltage  at  which  breakdown occurs  is  called  reverse  breakdown  voltage denoted as VBR




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