Question

Write the important considerations which are to be taken into account while fabricating a p-n junction diode to be used as a Light Emitting Diode (LED). What should be the order of band gap of an LED,  if it is required to emit light in the visible range? Draw a circuit diagram and explain its action. 

Answer 1

While fabricating a pn-junction diode to be used as LED, the important consideration which are to be taken
are as follows:
(i) It should be heavily doped.
(ii) It should be forward biased.
(iii) It should be encapsulated with a transparent cover so that emitted light can come out.
(iv) It must have a proper band gap so that the emitted radiations lie in the visible region.

LEDs that can emit red, yellow, orange, green and blue light are commercially available. The  semiconductor used for fabrication of visible LEDs must at least have a band gap of 1.8 eV (spectral  range of visible light is from about 0.4 μm to 0.7 μm, i.e., from about 3 eV to 1.8 eV). The compound semiconductor Gallium Arsenide – Phosphide (GaAs_1–xP_x) is used for making LEDs of different colours.  GaAs_0.6 P_0.4 (Eg ~ 1.9 eV) is used for red LED.