Varactor
Figure 1. - Varactor diode.
The varactor, or varicap is a diode that exhibits the characteristics of a variable capacitor. The depletion region at the pn junction acts as the dielectric and plates of a common capacitor and is caused to expand and contract by the voltage applied to the diode. This action increases and decreases the capacitance. The schematic symbol for the varactor is shown beside. Varactors are used in tuning circuits and can be used as high-frequency amplifiers.
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Figure 2: forward biased pn junction.
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Figure 2: forward biased pn junction.
The size of the depletion region in a varactor diode is directly related to the bias. Forward biasing makes the region smaller by repelling the current carriers toward the pn junction. If the applied voltage is large enough (about .7 volt for silicon material), the negative particles will cross the junction and join with the positive particles, as shown in figure 2. This forward biasing causes the depletion region to decrease, producing a low resistance at the pn junction and a large current flow across it. This is the condition for a forward-biased diode. On the other hand, if reverse-bias voltage is applied to the pn junction, the size of its depletion region increases as the charged particles on both sides move away from the junction. This condition, shown in figure 3, produces a high resistance between the terminals and allows little current flow (only in the microampere range). This is the operating condition for the varactor diode, which is nothing more than a special pn junction.
Figure 3: Reverse-biased pn junction.
Figure 3: Reverse-biased pn junction.
As the figures show, the insulation gap formed by reverse biasing of the varactor is comparable to the layer of dielectric material between the plates of a common capacitor. Furthermore, the formula used to calculate capacitance
| C = k · | A | where: | A = plate area k = a constant value d = distance between plates |
(1) |
| d |
can be applied to both the varactor and the capacitor. In this case, the size of the insulation gap of the varactor, or depletion region, is substituted for the distance between the plates of the capacitor. By varying the reverse-bias voltage applied to the varactor, the width of the „gap” may be varied. An increase in reverse bias increases the width of the gap which reduces the capacitance (C) of the pn junction. Therefore, the capacitance of the varactor is inversely proportional to the applied reverse bias.
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Figure 4: Varactor capacitance depending on bias voltage.
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Figure 4: Varactor capacitance depending on bias voltage.
The ratio of varactor capacitance to reverse-bias voltage change may be as high as 10 to 1. Figure 4 shows one example of the voltage-to-capacitance ratio. The upper view shows that a reverse bias of 3 volts produces a capacitance of e.g. 20 picofarads in the varactor. If the reverse bias is increased to 6 volts, as shown in the bottom view, the depletion region widens and capacitance drops to e.g. 5 picofarads. Each 1-volt increase in bias voltage causes a 5-picofarad decrease in the capacitance of the varactor; the ratio of change is therefore 5 to 1. Of course any decrease in applied bias voltage would cause a proportionate increase in capacitance, as the depletion region narrows. Notice that the value of the capacitance is small in the picofarad range.
In general, varactors are used to replace the old style variable capacitor tuning. They are used in tuning circuits of more sophisticated communication equipment and in other circuits where variable capacitance is required. One advantage of the varactor is that it allows a dc voltage to be used to tune a circuit for simple remote control or automatic tuning functions. One such application of the varactor is as a variable tuning capacitor in a receiver or transmitter tank circuit like that shown in figure 5.
Figure 5: Varactor tuned resonant circuit.
Figure 5: Varactor tuned resonant circuit.
Figure 5 shows a dc voltage felt at the wiper of potentiometer R which can be adjusted between +V and -V. The dc voltage, passed through the low resistance of radio frequency chokes Dr1 and Dr2, acts to reverse bias varactor diode CR. The capacitance of C2 is in series with C1 and C3. Therefore, any variation in the dc voltage at R will vary both the capacitance of C2 and the resonant frequency of the tank circuit. The radio-frequency chokes provides high inductive reactance at the tank frequency to prevent tank loading by R. C1 and C3 acts to block dc from the tank as well as to fix the tuning range of C2.