P-N Junction Diode – Why It Can’t Be Used as Voltage Regulator in Forward Bias

diodespn-junctionsemiconductorsvoltage-referencevoltage-regulator

Usually, a Zener or avalanche breakdown region for a suitably doped P-N junction is used for voltage regulation as a substantial variation in the current (due to minority carriers) requires a negligibly slight variation in reverse bias voltage.

From the I-V characteristics of a P-N junction, it appears that when the forward bias voltage is much greater than the knee voltage, a significant variation in forward current also corresponds to a very slight variation in the forward voltage. Even if this knee voltage is very small compared to the reverse breakdown voltage, for small voltage ranges, a P-N junction in forward biasing should work as a voltage regulator.

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Can a P-N junction diode be used as a voltage regulator in forward biasing for smaller voltage ranges?

Best Answer

The H11L1 chip uses four diodes in series as reference for its very simple voltage regulator:

H11L1 voltage regulator

It does not even try to supply a constant current, so its characteristics vary depending on supply voltage and temperature:

H11L1 characteristics
(source)

If you need a voltage that actually can be called "constant", you need a better reference.