Question

The reverse saturation current in a p-n junction diode is due to only the

• A. minority carriers
• B. majority carriers
• C. acceptor ions
• D. donor ions

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

minority carriers

The reverse saturation current caused in a p-n junction diode is caused by minority carriers. The rupture of covalent bonds create the minority carriers in the material and it solely depends on the temperature of the material. When the temperature is maintained at a certain constant value, the generation of minority carriers is constant. The drift current due o the flow of minority carriers is called the reverse saturation current and is independent of the value of applied bias voltage.