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How depletion region across zener diode gets thin?

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Answer

A diode is basically a PN junction device. P type semiconductors are rich in holes while N types are rich in electrons. (Rich means majority carriers here, which are found in the outer shell of atoms).

Thus at the junction of this P and N type material, electrons and holes will combine resulting in a deficiency of charge carriers. This is termed the depletion region.

When you attach the negative terminal of a battery to the N end of the diode and the positive terminal to the P end, the electrons will be repelled towards the junction and holes too will move towards the junction region, making it thin (narrow) (Further increase in voltage will make current to pass through). The opposite occurs when they are connected the other way. The region becomes thin.

For normal operations, zener diodes are connected in reverse (diodes usually are connected reversely unless you want drop some voltage) the depletion layer widens, as described above. But at a certain reverse voltage, the zener starts to conduct suddenly. This is called avalanche/breakdown voltage. How the layer becomes thin (if at all, seems improbable) when they are reverse connected, I do not know.

First answer by Answering. Last edit by Answering. Contributor trust: 117 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 14 [recommend question].

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