The reverse transient behavior of semiconductor junction diodes

Abstract

The reverse transient behavior of junction diodes after a rectangular pulse of forward current is analyzed and the results verified experimentally. Based on the simplified planar diode model and the diffusion equation, equations are obtained to determine the reverse recovery current and voltage as functions of carrier lifetime and circuit parameters. The transient behavior of both the open circuit and the closed circuit conditions are shown to be described by some set of equations, and the presently unrelated explanations are unified. The relation between the charge stored by forward current and the charge recovered by reverse current is then derived. These equations are confirmed with an accuracy of 5 per cent or better by experimental data from germinium and silicon alloyed diodes. Several applications on measurements of diode material properties and on circuit applications (diode amplifiers, modulators, etc.) are suggested.