Work in progress: Simulation software targeted to repair misconceptions regarding the P-N diode

Educational simulations can be useful for visualization of abstract and complex concepts and semiconductor physics seems ideal for this type of instructional support. The P-N diode is the most basic semiconductor device, but research has shown that its non-linear behavior poses problems to the students who struggle to explain its micro-scale behavior. Research in educational technologies for semiconductor materials and devices has shown improved learning with computer simulations. Freely available educational simulations that include the P-N junction show how the depletion width, the internal electric field, and band diagram changes with applied voltage. However, these diagrams are not directly used to visualize the different current components at the micro-scale. This work-in-progress paper discusses the initial design of an educational simulation of a P-N junction diode showing how the different current components vary dynamically with the applied voltage. The proposed simulation fills a void in the instructional materials related to the P-N diode by allowing students to visualize the impact that the applied voltage has on device current and determine its non-linear behavior.