Question

A zener diode works on the principle of_________

(a) tunneling of charge carriers across the junction

(b) thermionic emission

(c) diffusion of charge carriers across the junction

(d) hopping of charge carriers across the junction

I got this question by my school teacher while I was bunking the class.

Enquiry is from Breakdown Diodes topic in chapter Semiconductor-Diode Characteristics of Electronic Devices & Circuits

Answer 1

Correct choice is (a) tunneling of charge carriers across the junction

The best I can explain: Due to zener effect in reverse bias under high electric field strength, electron quantum tunneling occurs. It’s a mechanical effect in which a tunneling current occurs through a barrier. They usually cannot move through that barrier.