Electrical Engineering XYZ MCQs
The leakage current in a pn junction is in order of:
- µA
- A
- kA
- None of the above
Correct answer: 1. µA
Explanation: The leakage current in a PN junction is typically very small, on the order of microamperes (µA) or even smaller. When a PN junction is unbiased (i.e., no external voltage applied), there is still a small current flowing due to the minority carriers (electrons in the P-region and holes in the N-region) diffusing across the junction. This current is called the leakage current. It arises due to thermal generation of electron-hole pairs and diffusion of these carriers across the depletion region.
The other options provided (A, kA, None of the above) are not typically associated with the leakage current in a PN junction. Options A and kA represent larger current magnitudes (amperes and kiloamperes), which are not characteristic of leakage currents in PN junctions. “None of the above” is incorrect because the leakage current does have a measurable magnitude, typically in the microampere range.