PN junctions and diodes

How does the reverse saturation current of a PN junction diode depend on temperature?

  1. AIt increases as temperature rises
  2. BIt is constant regardless of temperature
  3. CIt becomes zero as temperature rises
Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. It increases as temperature rises

The reverse saturation current is carried by thermally generated minority carriers, so it rises sharply with temperature. In silicon it is said to roughly double for every 10 °C rise. This is one reason leakage current increases at high temperature.

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More PN junctions and diodes questions

  1. Which is a characteristic of a Schottky barrier diode?
  2. Which property does a variable-capacitance (varactor) diode use?
  3. In a PN junction where the p side is far more heavily doped than the n side (a p+n junction), how does the depletion layer spread?
  4. Why does a reverse current flow briefly (a reverse recovery time exists) when a PN junction diode is switched from forward to reverse?
  5. How does the built-in (diffusion) potential of a PN junction relate to the doping on each side?