In the vast family of electronic components, Zener diodes stand out for their unique voltage regulation properties and wide range of applications, making them indispensable tools for electronic engineers. Today, we will delve into the specifics of the ZM4729A Zener diode, exploring its performance characteristics and application prospects.

Slkor Voltage Regulator Diode ZM4729A product photo

1. Overview of ZM4729A

The ZM4729A is a Zener diode with a nominal voltage of 3.6V and an accuracy of ±5%, meaning it can provide relatively stable output voltage in practical applications. Additionally, this component has a power handling capability of 1W, ensuring sufficient stability for circuits.

Slkor Voltage Regulator Diode ZM4729A specification

2. Performance Characteristics

Stable Voltage Regulation: The ZM4729A has a nominal voltage of 3.6V with a precision within ±5%. This ensures it delivers stable output voltage across various circuit environments, providing robust support for consistent circuit operation.

High Power Handling Capacity: With a power handling capability of 1W, the ZM4729A can handle complex circuit environments, particularly excelling in scenarios requiring high power output.

Low Reverse Current: At a reverse voltage of 1V, the ZM4729A exhibits a reverse current of just 100μA. This characteristic contributes to low power consumption under reverse voltage conditions, helping to extend circuit lifespan.

Moderate Impedance: The ZM4729A has an impedance of 10Ω, striking a balance that ensures it is neither overly sensitive nor overly sluggish, which aids in maintaining stable circuit performance.

Parameters of Slkor Voltage Regulator Diode ZM4729A

3. Application Prospects

Power Supply Regulation: In power supply circuits, the ZM4729A can serve as a voltage regulator, providing stable power voltage to the circuit. Its high precision and stable performance make the output voltage of power circuits more reliable.

Reference Voltage Source: The ZM4729A's stable voltage characteristics make it suitable as a reference voltage source, offering stable reference voltage for other circuits. This application is particularly significant in scenarios requiring high-precision voltage measurement.

Overvoltage Protection: In circuits where input voltage might spike too high, the ZM4729A can act as an overvoltage protection device, limiting the voltage to a safe range and protecting the circuit from damage.

4. Breakdown Mechanisms of Zener Diodes

Zener diode breakdown primarily occurs through four mechanisms: Zener breakdown, avalanche breakdown, electrical breakdown, and thermal breakdown. Here are detailed explanations of these breakdown mechanisms:

Zener Breakdown:

● Principle: Occurs in highly doped PN junctions. Due to the thin junction, a strong electric field can be generated even at low applied voltages (e.g., 4V), pulling electrons from covalent bonds and creating a large number of electron-hole pairs, which significantly increases reverse current.

● Characteristics: Typically happens under low reverse voltage and high doping conditions. When the stabilization voltage ( V_Z ) is less than 4V, it is classified as Zener breakdown. Zener breakdown has a negative temperature coefficient.

● Applications: Used in low-voltage stabilization circuits due to its low reverse voltage requirements.

Avalanche Breakdown:

● Principle: For PN junctions with lower doping concentration and thicker junctions, when the reverse voltage reaches a certain level, the strong external electric field accelerates minority carriers, causing collisions that ionize atoms and create new electron-hole pairs, leading to a rapid increase in reverse current.

● Characteristics: Typically occurs under high reverse voltage and low doping conditions. When ( V_Z ) is greater than 7V, it is considered avalanche breakdown. Avalanche breakdown has a positive temperature coefficient.

● Applications: Commonly used in high-voltage stabilization circuits due to its high reverse voltage characteristics.

Electrical Breakdown:

● Explanation: Although not commonly discussed in the context of Zener diodes, electrical breakdown usually refers to the phenomenon where a high electric field directly disrupts the internal structure of the material, causing a sharp increase in current.

● Characteristics: Related to the physical properties of the material, such as the strength of insulating materials or the doping concentration of semiconductor materials.

● Applications: In high-voltage electronic equipment, it is essential to avoid electrical breakdown to ensure normal operation.

Thermal Breakdown:

● Principle: During the use of the diode, if the power dissipation (product of reverse current and reverse voltage) causes the junction temperature to rise excessively, the current increases further, leading to a cycle of heating that exceeds the junction’s power handling capacity, resulting in breakdown.

● Characteristics: Thermal breakdown is permanent; once it occurs, the diode cannot recover.

● Applications: Circuit design must consider heat dissipation and power consumption to prevent thermal breakdown.

By understanding these characteristics and mechanisms, engineers can better utilize Zener diodes like the ZM4729A in their designs to enhance circuit stability and performance.

About Slkor：
Slkor has research and development offices in Busan, South Korea, Beijing, China, and Suzhou, China. Most of the wafer manufacturing and packaging and testing are carried out within China. The company employs and collaborates with individuals and organizations worldwide, with a laboratory for product performance and reliability testing and a central warehouse located at its headquarters in Shenzhen. Slkor has filed for over a hundred invention patents, offers more than 2,000 product models, and serves over ten thousand customers globally. Its products are exported to countries and regions including Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, making it one of the rapidly growing semiconductor companies in recent years. With well-established management systems and streamlined workflows, Slkor has rapidly enhanced the brand awareness and reputation of its "SLKOR" brand through its outstanding quality and standardized services. Its product range includes three major series: diodes, transistors, and power devices, with recent introductions of new products such as Hall elements and analog devices, expanding its presence in sensors, Risc-v microcontrollers, and other product categories.