![]() | What is a Zener Diode- a summary of the basics of what is a Zener diode, how they can be used to provide a stable reference voltage, some simple Zener diode circuits and Zener diode markings.Zener diodes are a form of semiconductor diode that are widely used in electronics circuits as voltage references. Zener diodes provide a stable and defined voltage and as a result Zener diode circuits are often used in power supplies when regulated outputs are needed. Zener diodes are cheap and they are also easy to use and as a result they are used in many applications and many circuits. Zener diode basicsZener diodes are sometimes referred to as reference diodes as they are able to provide a stable reference voltage for many electronics circuits. The diodes themselves are cheap and plentiful and can be purchased in virtually every electronics components store. Zener diodes have many of the same basic properties of ordinary semiconductor diodes. They conduct in the forward direction and have the same turn on voltage as ordinary diodes. For silicon this is about 0.6 volts. In the reverse direction, the operation of a Zener diode is quite different to an ordinary diode. For low voltages the diodes do not conduct as would be expected. However, once a certain voltage is reached the diode "breaks down" and current flows. Looking at the curves for a Zener diode, it can be seen that the voltage is almost constant regardless of the current carried. This means that a Zener diode provides a stable and known reference voltage. Zener diode markingsThere are many styles of package for a Zener diode. Some are used for high levels of power dissipation and others are contained within surface mount formats. For home construction, the most common type is contained within a small glass encapsulation. It has a band around one end and this marks the cathode. It can be seen that the band around the package corresponds to the line on the diode circuit symbol and this can be an easy way of remembering which end is which. For a Zener diode operating in its reverse bias condition the band is the more positive terminal in the circuit. ![]() Zener diode markings, symbol and package outlines How a Zener diode worksThe Zener diode is particularly interesting in the way that it operates. There are actually two mechanisms that can cause the breakdown effect that is used to provide the voltage reference effect:
It is found that of the two effects the Zener effect predominates above about 5.5 volts whereas impact ionisation is the major effect below this voltage. The two effects are affected by temperature variations. This means that the Zener diode voltage may vary as the temperature changes. It is found that the impact ionisation and Zener effects have temperature coefficient in opposite directions. As a result Zener diodes with reverse voltages of around 5.5 volts where the two effects occur almost equally have the most stable overall temperature coefficient as they tend to balance each other out for the optimum performance. Zener diode circuitsThe most basic Zener diode circuit consist of a single Zener diode and a resistor. The Zener diode provides the reference voltage, but a series resistor must be in place to limit the current into the diode otherwise a large amount of current would flow through it and it could be destroyed. The value of the resistor should be calculated to give the required value of current for the supply voltage used. Typically most low power leaded Zener diodes have a maximum power dissipation of 400 mW. Ideally the circuit should be designed to dissipate less than about half this value, but to operate correctly the current into the Zener diode should not fall below about 5 mA or they do not regulate correctly. ![]() Basic Zener diode circuit
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