breakdown voltage and avalanche voltage

Hi

There is a breakdown voltage and avalanche voltage for a diode. What's the difference? I couldn't really find any distinct difference. Could you please help me? Thanks.

Actually, I believe that there is a Zener mechanism and an avalanche mechanism and both occur at 5.1 V. That's why that diode is special. Zener diodes above 5.1 V is essentially an avalanche diode, but the Zener name stuck. The normal breakdown PRV is essentialy an avalanche breakdown. This is from memory. I may have a solid state book with a better explanation. This is from memory.

PG1995 said:

Hi

There is a breakdown voltage and avalanche voltage for a diode. What's the difference? I couldn't really find any distinct difference. Could you please help me? Thanks.

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From my textbook (Electronic Principles, Malvino):

The zener effect is predominant for breakdown voltages less than 4 V, the avalanche effect is predominant for breakdown voltages greater than 6 V, and both effects are present between 4 and 6 V. Originally, people thought the zener effect was the only breakdown mechanism in diodes. For this reason, the name "zener diode" came into widespread use before the avalanche effect was discovered. All diodes optimized for operation in the breakdown region are therefore still called zener diodes.

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PG1995 said:

There is a breakdown voltage and avalanche voltage for a diode. What's the difference? I couldn't really find any distinct difference. Could you please help me? Thanks.

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Breakdown voltage is a generic term for the voltage at which a diode can no longer reverse block and starts to conduct. The avalanche effect is one of the internal diode mechanisms that can determine the breakdown voltage.

Thanks a lot, everyone. I really appreciate your help.

crutschow said:

Breakdown voltage is a generic term for the voltage at which a diode can no longer reverse block and starts to conduct. The avalanche effect is one of the internal diode mechanisms that can determine the breakdown voltage.

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Okay, breakdown voltage is a term for voltage at which a diode starts to conduct when it is reverse biased. In case of forward biasing the voltage at which the diode conducts is called knee voltage (in case of Silicon voltage it's 0.7V).

What is term for voltage limit when the diode will be destroyed? Destroying voltage?

that can determine - I don't understand this phrase and it's meaning in the above context. Please help me.

I think there is no thing such as "avalanche voltage" rather the proper term is "avalanche effect". Please let me know your opinion.

Thank you for your time and help.

What I meant by "that can determine" was that the avalanche effect can be the mechanism that determines the breakdown voltage at higher voltages but for a low voltage zener it is the zener effect.

The "avalanche voltage" is the breakdown voltage as determined by the avalanche effect.