what is zener breakdown voltage

Zener breakdown voltage is a crucial characteristic of Zener diodes. It refers to the voltage at which the Zener diode experiences a breakdown in the reverse direction, allowing current to flow in the opposite direction. This phenomenon is known as the Zener effect and is a key feature of Zener diodes. The breakdown voltage for commonly available Zener diodes can vary from 1.2 V to 200 V, and in some cases, it can go up to 1 kV. Zener breakdown occurs when the voltage across a reverse-biased Zener diode exceeds the diodes reverse breakdown voltage, allowing electrons to tunnel through the depletion region and conduct current. Zener breakdown is distinct from avalanche breakdown, which occurs due to the collision of free electrons with atoms and can occur simultaneously with Zener breakdown. Zener diodes are designed to work in the reverse breakdown region, and they have a fixed breakdown voltage, which can range from a few volts to a few hundred volts. This breakdown voltage is a crucial parameter in the operation of Zener diodes and is used in applications such as voltage regulation and voltage reference generation.