2019-20

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA DHULE

CLASS 12

PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

PHOTODIODE & ITS WORKING

Submitted by: Lokesh Sunil Mali

Roll No.: 1206
Class 12th
Teacher: Mr. Rahul Shirbhate Sir
 ACKNOWLEGEMENT

I would like to express my immense gratitude to my Physics

teacher Mr. Rahul Shirbhate Sir, for the help and guidance he
provided for completing the investigatory project. His
suggestions and instructions have served as the major
contributor towards the completion of the project.

I also thank my parents who have helped me with their

valuable suggestions & guidance and inputs in making this
Project. Most of all I thank our school management, for
providing us the facilities and opportunity to do this project.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my classmates who

have rendered and done this project along with me. Their
support made this project fruitful.

- Lokesh Mali
 INDEX

Introduction to a Photodiode
Working of Photodiode
Modes of operation
Materials Used
Types of Photodiodes
Features
Applications Of Photodiode
 Introduction

What is a Photodiode?
A photodiode is a PN-junction diode (Semiconductor Device) that
consumes light energy to
produce electric current or
voltage based on the mode
of operation of the device.
Sometimes it is also called
as photo-detector, a light
detector, and photo-sensor.
The current is generated
when photons are absorbed
in the photodiode.
Photodiodes may contain optical filters, built-in lenses, and may
have large or small surface areas. These diodes have a slow
response time as the surface area of the photodiode increases.
The common, traditional solar cell used to generate electric solar
power is a large area photodiode which works only in bright
light.
 Photodiodes are similar to
regular semiconductor diodes exc
ept that they may be either
exposed (to detect vacuum
UV or X-rays) or packaged with a
window or optical
fiber connection to allow light to
reach the sensitive part of the
device. Many diodes designed for
use specially as a photodiode use
a PIN junction rather than a p–n
junction, to increase the speed of
response. A photodiode is
designed to operate in reverse
bias it means that the P-side of
the photodiode is associated with the -ve terminal of the battery
and n-side is connected to the +ve terminal of the battery.

Some photodiodes will look like a light emitting diode. They have
two terminals coming from the end. The smaller end of the diode
is the cathode terminal, while the longer end of the diode is the
anode terminal. See the following schematic diagram for the
anode and cathode side. Under forward bias condition,
conventional current will flow from the anode to the cathode,
following the arrow in the diode symbol. Photocurrent flows in
the reverse direction.
Working of a

Photodiode
A photodiode is a p–n junction or PIN structure. When
a photon of sufficient energy strikes the diode, it creates
an electron–hole pair. This mechanism is also known as the
inner photoelectric effect. If the absorption occurs in the
junction's depletion region, or one diffusion length away from
it, these carriers are swept from the junction by the built-in
electric field of the depletion region. Thus holes move toward
the anode, and electrons toward the cathode, and
a photocurrent is produced. The total current through the
photodiode is the sum of the dark current (current that is
generated in the absence of light) and the photocurrent, so the
dark current must be minimized to maximize the sensitivity of
the device.
 Modes Of Operation

Photovoltaic mode
● ● ●
When used in zero bias or
photovoltaic mode, the flow Photoconductive mode
of photocurrent out of the In this mode the diode is often (but
device is restricted and a not always) reverse biased. This
voltage builds up. The diode increases the width of the depletion
becomes forward biased and layer, which decreases the junction's
"dark current" begins to flow capacitance resulting in faster
across the junction in the response times. The reverse bias
direction opposite to the induces only a small amount of
photocurrent. This mode is current (known as saturation or back
responsible for the current) along its direction while the
photovoltaic effect, which is photocurrent remains virtually the
the basis for solar cells—in same. The photocurrent is linearly
fact, a solar cell is just an proportional to the illuminance.
array of large area Although this mode is faster, the
photodiodes. photovoltaic mode tends to exhibit
less electronic noise.

(The leakage current of a good PIN

diode is so low – < 1nA – that the
Other Modes Johnson–Nyquist noise of the load
Avalanche photodiodes are resistance in a typical circuit often
photodiodes with structure optimized for dominates.)
operating with high reverse bias,
approaching the reverse breakdown ● ● ●
voltage. This allows each photo-
generated carrier to be multiplied
by avalanche breakdown, resulting in
internal gain within the photodiode,
which increases the
effective responsivity of the device.
Materials Used
The material used to
make a photodiode is critical to defining its properties, because
only photons with sufficient energy to excite electrons across the
material's bandgap will produce significant photocurrents.
Materials commonly used to produce photodiodes include

Electromagnetic
Material spectrum
wavelength range (nm)

Silicon 190–1100

Germanium 400–1700

Indium gallium arsenide 800–2600

Lead(II) sulfide <1000–3500

Mercury cadmium
400–14000
telluride

● ● ●

Because of their
greater band gap,
silicon-based
photodiodes
generate less noise
than germanium-
based photodiodes.
Types of Photodiode
● ● ●
The working of different types of
photodiodes is slightly different, but
the basic operation of these diodes remains the same. It can be
classified based on its construction and functions as follows.

 PN Photodiode

 Schottky Photo Diode

 PIN Photodiode

 Avalanche Photodiode

Features

These diodes are widely used

Features
in the applications where the
detection of the presence of The linearity of the diode is
light, color, position, good with respect to incident
intensity is required. The light
main features of these diodes  Noise is low.
include the following.
 The response is wide
spectral

 Rugged mechanically

 Light weight and compact

 Long life
 Applications of Photodiode
The applications of photodiodes involve in similar applications
of photodetectors like charge-coupled devices,
photoconductors, and photomultiplier tubes.
 These diodes are used in consumer electronics devices
like smoke detectors, compact disc players, and
televisions and remote controls in VCRs.

 In other consumer devices like clock radios, camera light

meters, and street lights, photoconductors are more
frequently used rather than photodiodes.

 Photodiodes are frequently used for exact measurement of

the intensity of light in science & industry. Generally, they
have an enhanced, more linear response than
photoconductors.
 Photodiodes are also widely used in numerous medical
applications like instruments to analyze samples,
detectors for computed tomography and also used in
blood gas monitors.

 These diodes are much faster & more complex than

normal PN junction diodes and hence are frequently used
for lighting regulation and in optical communications.