Performance of Shunt Voltage Regulators Based on Zener Diodes at Cryogenic Temperatures

Abstract

Electronic circuits in certain space missions are exposed to very low temperatures. Very limited data exist on the performance and reliability of electronic devices and circuits at cryogenic temperatures below the manufacturer’s specified operating temperature range. This database can be used as a design tool for screening and identifying diodes with potential use in extreme temperature applications. Therefore, the present paper summarizes the preliminary results obtained on the evaluation of shunt voltage regulators based on different breakdowns of Zener diodes whenever they operate at very low temperature levels. The performance of Zener voltage regulator was evaluated under a wide temperature range from 300 to 93 K. In this concern, six sets of Zener diodes of the types BZV86-1V4, BZX83-C3V6, BZX79-C4V7, BZX79-C5V6, BZX83-C6V8 and BZX55C9V1 covering a wide range of low breakdown voltages (from 1.40 to 9.10 V), were chosen. The devices were evaluated in terms of their output voltages at different input voltage levels (line regulation), and at constant load current as a function of temperature. The effect of temperature on load regulation was also established for different load levels up to 21.0 mA, at constant input voltage, over the low temperature range of 300 to 93 K.