With interments of reverse bias, the tunnel current also increases bec...
When the forward bias is increased, the tunnel current is also increased upto a certain limit. This happens when the electron movement takes place from P to N side.
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With interments of reverse bias, the tunnel current also increases bec...
Explanation:
When a pn junction is reverse biased, the p-side is connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the n-side is connected to the positive terminal. This creates a potential barrier across the junction, preventing the flow of majority carriers (electrons in the n-side and holes in the p-side).
Tunneling Effect:
However, due to the quantum mechanical phenomenon known as the tunneling effect, a small number of charge carriers can still cross the barrier even under reverse bias conditions. This tunneling current is caused by the minority carriers (electrons in the p-side and holes in the n-side) tunneling through the potential barrier.
Electron Movement:
When a reverse bias is applied, the potential barrier widens, making it easier for electrons in the p-side balance band to tunnel through to the conduction band of the n-side. This is because the energy levels of the conduction band in the n-side are closer to the energy levels of the balance band in the p-side under reverse bias conditions.
Effect of Fermi Level:
Under reverse bias conditions, the Fermi level of the p-side shifts higher than the Fermi level of the n-side. This creates a greater energy difference between the balance band and the conduction band in the p-side, facilitating electron tunneling.
Decrease in Junction Current:
The tunnel current is a component of the total reverse current flowing through the pn junction. As the tunnel current increases, the overall reverse current also increases. However, it is important to note that the junction current (the total current flowing through the pn junction) decreases under reverse bias conditions.
Unequality of n and p Bandedge:
The unequal distribution of energy levels in the n and p regions, specifically the difference between the balance band and the conduction band, plays a crucial role in enabling the tunneling effect to occur and increasing the tunnel current.
Overall, when a pn junction is reverse biased, the tunnel current increases because electrons from the balance band of the p-side are able to tunnel to the conduction band of the n-side due to the widening of the potential barrier and the difference in energy levels between the two sides.
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