zenerhatás

The Zener effect, also known as Zener breakdown, is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that occurs in semiconductor diodes. When a sufficiently large reverse voltage is applied across a p-n junction, a high electric field is generated within the depletion region. This strong electric field can impart enough energy to valence electrons, causing them to tunnel directly from the valence band to the conduction band. This process of electron tunneling is what constitutes the Zener effect.

This tunneling leads to a sharp increase in reverse current at a specific voltage, known as the Zener voltage. Unlike avalanche breakdown, which involves impact ionization, the Zener effect is primarily a quantum tunneling process and is less dependent on temperature. Zener diodes are specifically designed to operate in this breakdown region. They are used in voltage regulation circuits, where they maintain a relatively constant voltage across their terminals even when the input voltage or load current fluctuates. This makes them useful for protecting sensitive electronic components from overvoltage conditions and for providing stable reference voltages. The Zener effect is a crucial principle in semiconductor physics and device engineering.