Magical uses of tunnel diodes

Question

I am studying the working principle of tunnel diode and I am reading for a voltage range it creates a negative differential resistance.

If we have a current source supplying the circuit with some current, if the current is inside the negative differential resistance region, which will be the voltage of the diode, the green voltage , the orange voltage or the blue voltage?

There are three possible voltage values for the current value shown. — , Mar 14 '21 at 22:49
The title implies that you are looking for unique ("magical") uses of tunnel diodes. However, the body doesn't say that. Am I missing something? — Mike Waters, Mar 15 '21 at 11:35
@MikeWaters you don't miss anything.I think this behavior of the tunnel diode is magical. — Miss Mulan, Mar 15 '21 at 17:06
The "magical" behavior of the tunnel diode in the middle section of its IV curve is that it abruptly and uncontrollably changes its resistance from minimum to maximum or vice versa. As a result, there is a voltage jump at a constant current. — Circuit fantasist, Mar 16 '21 at 07:41

score 18 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 15 '21 at 00:39

If you use a current source, then you can't get a reasonable result.

I built a current/voltage tracer a while back that uses a current source - it sets the current then measures the resulting voltage across the diode.

About a month ago, I got hold of some GI103A tunnel diodes and tried to replicate the typical negative resistance curve trace of a tunnel diode.

This is the result:

It just skips right over the negative resistance range.

My software automatically joins consecutive measurements, so there's a straight line across the negative resistance range. In reality, it just skips right over the whole negative resistance area. The trace should just skip from about 20 millivolts to about 420 millivolts.

To get the negative resistance trace, you have to use a voltage source and measure the current. That's how the traces in the datasheets were produced.

Even Tektronix IV tracers produced IV traces that skip the negative resistance range:

Figure 11A from that Tektronix document shows the IV traces of two tunnel diodes made with a Tektronix 575 curve tracer. Both traces skip the negative resistance range.

This document ftom RCA describes how the negative resistance range can be traced.

The short form is that it takes an IV tracer with a low internal impedance - basically, a voltage source rather than a current source. The tracer "forces" a voltage on the diode and measures the resulting current.

I recommend reading both of the linked documents (Tektronix and RCA.) There's a wealth of information on theory and practicalities of tunnel diodes in both of them.

That "skipping the negative resistance range" is what makes tunnel diodes switch so fast.

As long as the driving source "looks like" a current source (the source impedance is higher than the absolute value of the negative resistance) the voltage range of negative resistance is "forbidden" - from the current, it could have three voltage values. That's impossible, so that range is "skipped," leading to an immediate change in voltage to something outside the forbidden zone.

When the source "looks like" a voltage source to the diode (source impedance is lower than the absolute value of the diode negative resistance) then there's only one current for that voltage - there's no forbidden zone, so it just passes whatever current is required.

(+1) Thanks for posting the link to the RCA Tunnel Diode Manual: I still have my hardcopy, but now I have backup! — Ed V, Mar 15 '21 at 00:05
A Schmitt trigger and latch are reasonable tunnel diode applications where it is driven by current:) — Circuit fantasist, Mar 15 '21 at 11:22
@JRE what do you means the negative differential resistance region is forbidden?Do you mean that it cannot be the green voltage? — Miss Mulan, Mar 15 '21 at 16:56
@MissMulan: Right. When using a current source with a tunnel diode, the green voltage is not possible. No voltage in the range of negative resistance is possible with a current source. — JRE, Mar 15 '21 at 17:01

Circuit fantasist · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-16T16:41:12.387

13

It depends on how you changed the current before:

If the current had not exceed the top (Ipe), then it is the "orange voltage" staying at the first part of the diode IV curve having a positive resistance.
If the current had exceed the top (Ipe) and then had not fallen under the bottom (Iv), then it is another (eg, "blue":) voltage that would stay at the third part of the diode IV curve having a positive resistance.
You will never see the "green voltage" since it is an extremely rapidly changing voltage (in the middle negative resistance region the operating point is unstable and it "jumps" in a horizontal direction).

The "magical use" of this bistable mode of operation is to make the tunnel diode memorize (act as a latch). For this purpose, the tunnel diode is initially biased by a current Iv < Ibias < Ipe. Then, it is toggled by adding or subtracting a sufficient current so that I > Ipe or I < Iv.

See more about the bistable mode of the N-shaped negative differential resistance and particularly, how the diode "jumps", in the related Wikibooks story.

edited Mar 16 '21 at 16:41

answered Mar 14 '21 at 23:21

Circuit fantasist

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So in case we have a switch and we close the switch since the current through the diode had been 0 before we closed the switch then the voltage drop will be equal to the orange voltage? – Miss Mulan Mar 15 '21 at 01:11
"...under the bottom peak...".Did you mean trough? – Miss Mulan Mar 15 '21 at 01:18
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@Miss Mulan, I have edited it. Maybe I had not said it clearly enough... but I think you understand me. If you want, I can explain here what the clever trick of the tunnel diode is. As a student many years ago, I really wanted to know how it "jumps" and what the trajectory of its jump is... but I managed to figure it out much later. Then I wrote this Wikibooks story... – Circuit fantasist Mar 15 '21 at 03:42
so it depends from the previous 'state' of the tunnel diode(e.g how much current has passed through the diode) before we measure the current state? – Miss Mulan Mar 15 '21 at 17:02
@Miss Mulan, Exactly! This property is called "hysteresis" and it simply means "memory"... – Circuit fantasist Mar 15 '21 at 17:43
ah ok thank you. – Miss Mulan Mar 15 '21 at 17:44
`You will never see the "green voltage"` - not true, but it does generally require active control circuitry to maintain operation in that state. It can be done, however. – J... Mar 15 '21 at 19:59
@J..., The "green voltage" can not be a constant voltage as the "orange voltage" and "blue voltage"; it is an extremely rapidly changing voltage because of the intrinsic self-reinforcing positive feedback. I have no idea how we can stop it in this case (current supplied tunnel diode). – Circuit fantasist Mar 15 '21 at 22:00
@Circuitfantasist Tunnel diodes are biased in the negative resistance regime, and operated there, in amplifier circuits. Studying those circuits may help. – J... Mar 16 '21 at 12:26
@J..., Agree... but in the OP's arrangement, the tunnel diode is driven by a current source... – Circuit fantasist Mar 16 '21 at 12:52
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@Circuitfantasist Yes. I guess I was speaking generally - to mean that the "green voltage" is not *generally* inaccessible, although that may be true in OP's specific case. – J... Mar 16 '21 at 13:15
@J..., Since I see that you have a tendency to think creatively, can I ask you if you share [my idea of the tunnel diode as a "super-dynamic resistor"](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Circuit_Idea/Negative_Differential_Resistance)? If not, what is your idea? It would be interesting to exchange views... – Circuit fantasist Mar 16 '21 at 16:29

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 14 '21 at 22:48

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That's impossible to tell. It depends in which region the diode operates, exactly as the figure you show informs you!

answered Mar 14 '21 at 22:48

Marcus Müller

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score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 14 '21 at 22:48

It can be either. Because the IV characteristics aren't a one-to-one function only knowing the current isn't enough to determine voltage.

As for which voltage it will be, I'm not sure. Based on how the current source works you may be able to force operation on either the green or orange line.

Magical uses of tunnel diodes

4 Answers4