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Chapter 16: Problem 26

What is the "dark current" of a photodiode?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The 'dark current' of a photodiode is the electrical current that flows through the device, even in the absence of incident light, due to the thermal energy of the environment.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Photodiodes

Photodiodes are a type of photodetector capable of converting light into either current or voltage. These semi-conductor devices operate by the photovoltaic effect, producing a current or voltage when struck by photons.
02

Understanding Dark Current

Dark current is the current that flows through the photodiode even when no photons are striking it. Even in complete darkness, the thermal energy provided by ambient temperature will generate a baseline current flow. This is the dark current.
03

Relevance and Quantification of Dark Current

Dark current can be a source of noise and an accuracy limitation in highly sensitive light detection applications. Its value can be found in the device's data sheet and is usually characterized at a given temperature because it increases with the device temperature.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Determine \(T_{1}\) for a varactor diode if \(C_{0}=22 \mathrm{pF}, T C_{C}=0.02 \% /{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\), and \(\Delta C=0.11 \mathrm{pF}\) due to an increase in temperature above \(T_{0}=25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\).

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