In case a reverse biased photodiode is kept in dark condition, the current flowing through the device corresponds to:
Value of reverse saturation current
How a photodiode is operated. A photodiode is a p-n (or p-i-n) junction used in reverse bias. The reverse bias widens the depletion region and sets up a strong field there, so any electron-hole pair created by an absorbed photon is swept out immediately and appears as a current proportional to the incident optical power.
What happens with no light. Remove the illumination and the photo-generated component disappears, but the junction is still reverse biased, so the ordinary reverse behaviour of a diode remains. From the diode equation
\(I = I_S\left(e^{V/\eta V_T}-1\right)\)
with V negative and \(|V| \gg V_T\) the exponential term vanishes and
\(I \approx -I_S\)
i.e. the reverse saturation current. In photodiode terminology this residual current is called the dark current, and it arises from thermally generated minority carriers plus generation in the depletion region and surface leakage.
Why the other options fail. It cannot be the maximum current — that would occur under the strongest illumination, since the total current is \(I = I_{dark} + I_{photo}\) and only the second term grows with light. "Normal value of current" is not a defined quantity for a reverse-biased junction. It is not exactly zero either: however small, a real junction always leaks a thermally generated current, which is precisely the point of the question.
Why it matters in practice. Dark current sets the noise floor and hence the minimum detectable optical power of a photodetector. It roughly doubles for every 10 °C rise in temperature, which is why sensitive detectors are cooled, and why a detector's specification always lists dark current at a stated reverse bias.
Hence, in darkness the reverse-biased photodiode carries the reverse saturation (dark) current.
Similar Questions
Consider the following statements for photo diode (PD) and Avalanche Photo Diode (APD)
A. The response time of APD is larger than PD
B. Photo current is a diffusion current for PD and APD
C. APD can handle greater amount of power in comparison to PD
D. Photo current is a minority carrier current for PD and APD
E. compare to ordinary pn diode, power handling capacity of PD is higher.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
In a p-i-n photodiode the depletion region thickness can be tailored to
(a) optimize the quantum efficiency
(b) optimize the frequency response
(c) optimize the quantum efficiency but not the frequency response.
(d) optimize the frequency response but not the quantum efficiency.
Out of these
Given below are two statements :
Statement I : In case a reverse biased photodiode is kept in a open light, the current flowing through the device corresponds to value of reverse saturation current.
Statement II : Photovoltaic emf of semiconductor photodiode is that voltage at which the resultant current flowing the device becomes zero.
In the light of the above statement, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Assertion (A) : Those semiconductor materials that have practically no thermally generated current carriers at room temperature are used as photoconductors.
Reason (R) : These materials are essentially insulators in the dark and carriers generated by the absorption of light cause maximum possible change in the resistivity of the cell.
Select your answer using the codes given below.
Assertion (A) : In PIN photodiodes, an intrinsic layer is there, which is slightly doped with n type material.
Reason (R) : It disables us to increase the width of the depletion region to a value which is far lesser what it could be in a PN diode.
Select your answer using the codes given below.
Photodiode can be used as :
(a) as a detector in forward biased
(b) as a detector in reverse biased
(c) as an LDR
(d) it generates solar energy
Which of the above statements are correct ?
The carrier velocity in a silicon p-i-n photodiode with 25 μm depletion layer width is 3 × 104 m/s. The maximum response time for the pin diode is given by :
Consider the following statements :
(A) The charge coupled device (CCD) is a linear scanning system
(B) The charge coupled device is a non linear scanning system
(C) A charge coupled devices is used as a shift register
(D) A charge coupled device can not be used as a photo detectorChoose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Important Questions from Photodetectors - Teaching
Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R
Assertion A: In a photodetector, it is desired that the width of the depletion region W be large enough so that most of the photons are absorbed within W rather than in the neutral n and p regions.
Reason R: A wider width W results in small junction capacitance.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below
Consider the following statements for photo diode (PD) and Avalanche Photo Diode (APD)
A. The response time of APD is larger than PD
B. Photo current is a diffusion current for PD and APD
C. APD can handle greater amount of power in comparison to PD
D. Photo current is a minority carrier current for PD and APD
E. compare to ordinary pn diode, power handling capacity of PD is higher.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
In a p-i-n photodiode the depletion region thickness can be tailored to
(a) optimize the quantum efficiency
(b) optimize the frequency response
(c) optimize the quantum efficiency but not the frequency response.
(d) optimize the frequency response but not the quantum efficiency.
Out of these
Given below are two statements :
Statement I : In case a reverse biased photodiode is kept in a open light, the current flowing through the device corresponds to value of reverse saturation current.
Statement II : Photovoltaic emf of semiconductor photodiode is that voltage at which the resultant current flowing the device becomes zero.
In the light of the above statement, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Assertion (A) : Those semiconductor materials that have practically no thermally generated current carriers at room temperature are used as photoconductors.
Reason (R) : These materials are essentially insulators in the dark and carriers generated by the absorption of light cause maximum possible change in the resistivity of the cell.
Select your answer using the codes given below.
