1

ECE 570 Session 4 IC 752-E

Computer Aided Engineering for Integrated Circuits

Diode model

Objective: Introduce concepts in device modeling for circuit analysis

Outline: 1. P-N junction diode DC model
2. Dynamic model
3. Diode equivalent circuit

Supplemental reading:

Antognetti and Massobrio, Chapter 1
2
1. P-N junction diode DC model

Supporting reading: Antognetti, Massobrio, model based on P-N junction theory.

Circuit symbol






The relations are composed of: A) static model - (I-V characteristics)
A) dynamic model- (C-V characteristics).

Static model
An important constant - thermal voltage:
T
kT
V
q
= == =

k - Boltzmann constant, T - absolute temperature,
q
- electron charge.

N
1
N
2

D
i

+
D
v -
3
I-V characteristic

D
T
D
T
v
nV
s D
T D
D T s D
D
D BV
BV v
D
nV
s
T
I e v G
V v
BV v V I v G
i
v BV I
v BV
BV
I e
V
min
min
1
5 ;
5 ;
;
;
1
+ ++ +

| | | | | | | |
+ + + + | | | |
| | | |


\ . \ . \ . \ .



< < < < < < < < + + + +


= == =


= = = =




| | | | | | | |

+ + + +
| | | |

| | | |

\ . \ . \ . \ .



Model parameters:
n
- emission coefficient (empirical, n 1 2 ),
s
I
- saturation current,
BV
- break down voltage,
BV
I
- break down current,
G
min
- minimum conductance (introduced to facilitate numerical calculations).
4
Sketches of I-V relations

Linear scale Logarithmic scale (
D T
v V 5 )

















D
i
D
T
v
V
BV
( (( ( ) )) )
D
i ln
D
T
v
V
Slope =
n
1

( (( ( ) )) ) ( (( ( ) )) )
D
D s
T
v
i I
nV
1
ln ln = + = + = + = +
5
2. Dynamic model (describing charge storage capability)
Two components are distinguished in the charge,
D
Q
, stored in a diode
D s d
Q Q Q = + = + = + = +


s
Q
- the charge stored in the neutral regions (NR), formed by minority carriers injected
into NR. This charge is determined by the formula
s D D
Q i = == =

where
D

is the transit time, a model parameter.

d
Q
- the depletion region charge, also called the junction charge or space charge.
The model of junction charge is based on approximate theory of abrupt P-N junction.
The model of junction charge can be represented in the integral form
D
m
v
d do
o
v
Q C dv
0
1

| | | | | | | |
= = = =
| | | |

\ . \ . \ . \ .
} }} }
where: m - is the grading coefficient (empirical,
m
1 1
3 2

),

o

- is the junction built-in potential,
do
C
- is the zero bias junction
capacitance.

6

Note:
do
C
- as a zero bias junction capacitance is often denoted by
jo
C
. This is an
incremental capacitance

The diode charge storing capability in the depletion region can alternatively be represented by
an incremental capacitance
m
d D
d do
D o
dQ v
C C
dv
1

| | | | | | | |
= = = = = = = =
| | | |

\ . \ . \ . \ .
.
7

The model of depletion charge is discontinuous at
D o
v = = = = . In practice
D o
v < < < < and
theoretically there is no problem with this discontinuity. However, in actual computations, due
to numerical errors it is possible that
D o
v and the model has to be modified. A
modification used in SPICE is explained in the figure below:













The parameter FC determines the diode potential assumed as a fraction ( FC 0 1 < < < < < < < < ) of built
in voltage,
0
, above which the diode C-V characteristic is represented a linear function of the
bias voltage.
The linear approximation is constructed in such a way that at
D o
v FC = = = = begins at the
capacitance determined by the theoretical curve and its slope is determined by the slope of the
tangent to the theoretical curve at the break point
D o
v FC = = = = .
d
C
D
v
o
FC
do
C

o

Theoretica
l relation
Numerical
approximation
8
The modified model of the junction charge is

D
D
m
v
do
o
D o
d
v
D
do
o
v
C dv
v FC
Q
v
mv
C F F dv
F
0
1 3
2
1
;
;
1






| | | | | | | |

| | | |

< = < = < = < =
\ . \ . \ . \ .

= == =



( ( ( (
| | | | | | | |

+ + + + + + + +
( ( ( (
| | | |


( ( ( ( \ . \ . \ . \ .


} }} }
} }} }


The constants, F F F
1 2 3
, , , determined mathematically by the above specified
condition of approximation are:
( (( ( ) )) )
( (( ( ) )) )
( (( ( ) )) )
m
m
F FC
m
F FC
F FC m
1
0
1
1
2
3
1 1
1
1
1 1

+ ++ +

( ( ( (
= = = =


= = = =
= + = + = + = +
.

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3. Diode equivalent circuit

It is convenient to represent the model in the form of equivalent circuit shown below
(models of transistors are also represented using suitable equivalent circuits)




















N
1
N
2

D
i +


D
v


-
s
r

D
Q
+

D
v


-
D
i
N
1
N
2

10
Summary of model parameters (SPICE)

5 static model parameters:


s
I - saturation current, BV - break down voltage, IBV - break down
current, n - emission coefficient,
s
r - resistance of neutral regions.

Numerical constant

G
min
- minimum conductance (constant selected for numerical reasons,
same for all elements).

5 dynamic model parameters:


D
- transit time,
do
C - zero-bias junction capacitance,
o
- built-in voltage,
m - grading coefficient,
FC - fraction of built-in voltage used as a delimiter between nonlinear and linear
sections of C-V characteristic.