An Improved Interpretation of Depletion Approximation in p–n-Junctions

The conventional treatment of depletion approximation in p–n-junctions often leaves a student with an erroneous impression that the approximation essentially involves complete neglect of the fraction of the space charge region (SCR) where charge density makes a transition to zero. This paper describes a simple analytical model for clarifying the relationship of depletion approximation to the SCR.