CameraIcon
CameraIcon
SearchIcon
MyQuestionIcon
MyQuestionIcon
1
You visited us 1 times! Enjoying our articles? Unlock Full Access!
Question

How to find out the breakdown voltage?


Open in App
Solution

Breakdown voltage

  1. Breakdown occurs when the reverse bias voltage across a p-n junction is sufficiently high so that the resulting electric field at the junction exerts a large force on a bond electron to tear it out of its covalent bond.
  2. Thus, a direct rupture of the covalent bonds produces a large number of electron-hole pairs, thereby increasing the reverse current.
  3. This process is referred to as breakdown and the voltage at which breakdown occurs is called the breakdown voltage.

Finding breakdown voltage,

We know from Paschen’s Law Vb=Bpdln(Apd)ln[ln(1+1γse)]

Vb = DC breakdown voltage, p = pressure of the gas, d = gap distance in meters, A and B are constants that depend on the surrounding gas, and γse = secondary electron emission coefficient.

Using Paschen’s Law, we can easily find out the breakdown voltage.


flag
Suggest Corrections
thumbs-up
0
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
similar_icon
Related Videos
thumbnail
lock
Faraday's Laws
CHEMISTRY
Watch in App
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
CrossIcon