- Exam
- JEE Main
- Year
- 2023
- Date
- 1 February
- Shift
- Evening Shift
- Subject
- Physics
- Chapter
- Semiconductors
JEE Main 2023 · 1 February · Evening Shift · Physics · Semiconductors
Choose the correct statement about Zener diode:
Options
- AIt works as a voltage regulator in reverse bias and behaves like simple p-n junction diode in forward bias
- BIt works as a voltage regulator in both forward and reverse bias
- CIt works a voltage regulator only in forward bias
- DIt works as a voltage regulator in forward bias and behaves like simple p-n junction diode in reverse bias
Correct answer
A. It works as a voltage regulator in reverse bias and behaves like simple p-n junction diode in forward bias
Step-by-step solution
Zener diode is a special type of p-n junction diode.
In a p-n junction diode, the majority carriers in p-side are the holes and that in n-side are the electrons. When a p-n junction diode is connected in such a way that the p-side is connected to the positive terminal and the n-side is connected to the negative terminal of a battery, there is a flow of current through the circuit. This condition is known as the forward bias condition of the junction.
If the connections are made in the opposite order, there is very less current that can pass through the p-n junction diode. This is called the reverse bias condition.
A Zener diode works in a reverse bias condition. It works in breakdown region of the applied voltage as a voltage regulator. Hence, it can act as simple p-n junction in forward bias