Which statement best explains the temperature dependence of the current€“voltage characteristics that the graph shows? At higher temperatures:

(a) The band gap is larger, so the electron hole pairs have more energy, which causes the current at a given voltage to be larger.

(b) More electrons can move to the conduction band, which causes the current at a given voltage to be larger.

(c) All of the electrons in the valence band move to the conduction band, and the diode behaves like a metal and follows Ohm€™s law.

(d) The acceptor and donor impurity atoms are free to move through the material, which causes the current at a given voltage to be larger.

The current€“voltage characteristics of a forwardbiased p-n junction diode depend strongly on temperature, as shown in the figure. As a result, diodes can be used as temperature sensors. In actual operation, the voltage is adjusted to keep the current through the diode constant at a specified value, such as 100 mA, and the temperature is determined from a measurement of the voltage at that current.

Transcribed Image Text:

0.15 0.10 0.05 T = 150° C T = 25° C 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Voltage (V) Current (A)