18 ASSIGNMENT 3 Textbook assignment: Chapter 3, “Special Devices,” pages 3-1 through 3-55. _________________________________________________________________________________ 3-1.   What is the total number of connections in a diode? 1.  One 2.  Two 3.  Three 4.  Four 3-2.   When the PN-junction diode is reversed biased, what happens to the majority carriers? 1.  They combine with minority carriers at the junction 2.  They move toward the junction 3.  Both 1 and 2 above 4.  They move away from the junction 3-3.   What causes a small leakage current in a reverse-biased PN junction? 1.  Holes 2.  Electrons 3.  Minority carriers 4.  Majority carriers 3-4.   At some potential, as you increase the reverse bias voltage on a PN junction, the reverse current increases very rapidly. What electronic term is given to this voltage potential? 1.  Breakdown voltage 2.  Reverse-bias 3.  Forward-bias 4.  Thermal runaway THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY. 3-5.   Which of the following is a characteristic of the Zener diode? 1.  A PN-junction diode that operates in the reverse-bias breakdown region 2.  A PN-junction diode that uses the avalanche effect 3.  A PN-junction diode that uses the Zener effect 4.  Each of the above 3-6.   What determines whether a solid material will act as a conductor, a semiconductor, or an insulator? 1.  The energy level of the valence band 2.  The energy level of the conductor band 3.  The energy difference across the forbidden gap 4.  The actual construction of the valence electrons 3-7.   In comparing a conductor and an insulator, what is the relative dimension of the forbidden gap of (a) the conductor and (b) the insulator? 1.  (a) Wide (b) wide 2.  (a) Wide (b) narrow 3.  (a) Narrow (b) narrow 4.  (a) Narrow (b) wide THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY.