Semiconductor Diode (Reverse-Bias)

• P side is connected to the negative terminal of the battery
• N side is connected to the positive terminal of the battery
• there is an attraction between the holes on the p side and the negative terminal, attraction between the electrons on N side and the positive terminal
• in reverse bias we have a new width of depletion layer
• in reverse bias we have new barrier potential
• majority carriers


  cannot overcome the increase barrier potential because of that the majority carriers cannot cross the junction and the majority carrier flow reduces to zero
• Minority charge carriers


  the number of minority charge carriers entering the depletion region will not change and hence the minority carrier flow will remain the same as no applied bias
• the current that exist under reverse bias condition is the reverse saturated current
• reverse saturation current direction is from right to left
• This widening of the depletion region will establish too great a barrier for the majority carriers to overcome, effectively reducing the majority carrier flow to zero
• The current that exists under reverse-bias conditions is called the reverse saturation current and is represented by Is.
• The term saturation comes from the fact that it reaches its maximum level quickly and does not change significantly with increase in the reverse-bias potential