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Published in:
Power Semiconductor Devices—Key Components for Efficient Electrical Energy Conversion Systems Read chapter Read first chapter

2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

3. pn-Junctions

Authors : Josef Lutz, Heinrich Schlangenotto, Uwe Scheuermann, Rik De Doncker

Published in: Semiconductor Power Devices

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Excerpt

pn-junctions are a basic element of nearly all power devices. They are formed when the type of conductivity changes from p to n-type within the same crystal. pn-junctions are rectifying, they conduct current only in one direction of the applied voltage, called forward direction, whereas in the opposite direction, the blocking direction, the current is extremely small. The rectification of pn-junctions has been described first theoretically by Davidov [Dav38]. After some further work (see [Sho49]) the pn theory was developed in a more complete form by Shockley [Sho49, Sho50]. Together with the invention of the transistor this was a starting point of the enormous development of the semiconductor industry till now. The operation of the metal-semiconductor rectifier was known already at that time [Sch38, Sch39]. Today, even the early poly-crystal rectifiers are thought to function mostly by a pn-junction. …

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previous chapter Semiconductor Properties
next chapter Introduction to Power Device Technology
Footnotes
1
After multiplication with 2·dV/dx, Eq. (3.7) can be integrated analytically to obtain the field \( {\mathsf{E}}\left( {\text{x}} \right) \) as function of V(x) in both regions. From the continuity of potential and field at the metallurgical junction the potential parts V P , V N are then determined.
 
2
The threshold voltage given in data sheets for power diodes is about 0.2–0.5 V higher. Because these diodes have a pin structure (see Sect. 5), a voltage drop across the base (i) region and at the i-n junction have to be added. As threshold voltage one uses there the onset voltage V s in the simplified ohmic characteristic V F  = V s  + R diff · I F .
 
3
Some manufacturers data sheets specify V B at 25 °C, and for application at lower temperatures one must be aware of said decrease of V B with temperature.
 
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Metadata
Title
pn-Junctions
Authors
Josef Lutz
Heinrich Schlangenotto
Uwe Scheuermann
Rik De Doncker
Copyright Year
2018
Book
Semiconductor Power Devices

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70916-1

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-70917-8

Copyright Year: 2018

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70917-8_3