SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE

DIODE
• A diode is a two-terminal electronic
component that conducts current primarily in
one direction (asymmetric conductance); it has
low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction,
and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other.
History of diode
• Semiconductor diodes were the first semiconductor
electronic devices. The discovery
of crystals' rectifying abilities was made by German
physicist Ferdinand Braun in 1874. The first
semiconductor diodes, called cat's whisker
diodes, developed around 1906, were made of
mineral crystals such as galena. Today, most diodes
are made of silicon, but other materials such
as selenium and germanium are sometimes used.
Cat's Whisker Diodes
Diode
• Diodes are known for their unidirectional
current property, wherein, the electric current is
allowed to flow in one direction. Basically,
diodes are used for the purpose of rectifying
waveforms, and can be used within power
supplies or within radio detectors. They can also
be used in circuits where 'one way' effect of
diode is required.
Diode
• Most diodes are made from semiconductors such
as silicon, however, germanium is also used
sometimes. Diodes transmit electric currents in
one direction, however, the manner in which
they do so can vary. Several types of diodes are
available for use in electronics design. 
Types of Diode
• Light Emitting Diode (LED): It is one of the
most popular type of diodes and when this diode
permits the transfer of electric current between
the electrodes, light is produced. When the diode
is switched on or forward biased, the electrons
recombine with the holes and release energy in
the form of light (electroluminescence). The
color of light depends on the energy gap of the
semiconductor.
Light Emitting Diode
Laser Diode
• This type of diode is different from the LED type,
as it produces coherent light. These diodes find
their application in DVD and CD drives, laser
pointers, etc. Laser diodes are more expensive
than LEDs. However, they are cheaper than
other forms of laser generators. Moreover, these
laser diodes have limited life.
Laser Diode
Avalanche Diode
• This type of diode operates in the reverse bias,
and used avalanche effect for its operation. The
avalanche breakdown takes place across the
entire PN junction, when the voltage drop is
constant and is independent of current.
Generally, the avalanche diode is used for photo-
detection, wherein high levels of sensitivity can
be obtained by the avalanche process.
Avalanche Diode
Schottky Diodes
• These diodes feature lower forward voltage drop
as compared to the ordinary silicon PN junction
diodes. The voltage drop may be somewhere
between 0.15 and 0.4 volts at low currents, as
compared to the 0.6 volts for a silicon diode. In
order to achieve this performance, these diodes
are constructed differently from normal diodes,
with metal to semiconductor contact. Schottky
diodes are used in RF applications, rectifier
applications and clamping diodes.
Schottky Diodes
Zener diode
•  This type of diode provides a stable reference
voltage, thus is a very useful type and is used in
vast quantities. The diode runs in reverse bias,
and breaks down on the arrival of a certain
voltage. A stable voltage is produced, if the
current through the resistor is limited. In power
supplies, these diodes are widely used to provide
a reference voltage.
Zener diode
Photodiode
• Photodiodes are used to detect light and feature
wide, transparent junctions. Generally, these
diodes operate in reverse bias, wherein even
small amounts of current flow, resulting from
the light, can be detected with ease. Photodiodes
can also be used to generate electricity, used as
solar cells and even in photometry.
Photodiode
Varicap Diode or Varactor Diode
• This type of diode feature a reverse bias placed
upon it, which varies the width of the depletion
layer as per the voltage placed across the diode.
This diode acts as a capacitor and capacitor
plates are formed by the extent of conduction
regions and the depletion region as the
insulating dielectric. By altering the bias on the
diode, the width of the depletion region changes,
thereby varying the capacitance.
Varicap Diode or Varactor Diode
Rectifier Diode
• These diodes are used to rectify alternating
power inputs in power supplies. They can rectify
current levels that range from an amp
upwards.If low voltage drops are required, then
Schottky diodes can be used, however, generally
these diodes are PN junction diodes.
Rectifier Diode
Transient Voltage Suppression Diodes 
• This diode is used to protect the electronics that
are sensitive against voltage spikes.
Gold doped diodes 
• These diodes use gold as the dopant and can
operate at signal frequencies even if the forward
voltage drop increases.
Super Barrier Diodes 
• These are also called as the rectifier diodes. This
diodes have the property of low reverse leakage
current as that of normal p-n junction diode and
low forward voltage drop as that of Schottky
diode with surge handling ability.
Super Barrier Diodes 
Peltier diodes 
• This diode is used as heat engine and sensor for
thermoelectric cooling.
Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
• As the name implies this diode can be controlled
or triggered to the ON condition due to the
application of small voltage. They belong to the
family of Tyristors and is used in various fields
of DC motor control, generator field
regulation, lighting system control and variable
frequency drive . This is three terminal device
with anode, cathode and third controled lead or
gate.
Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
Diode Biasing
• a) Current flow is permitted; the diode is
forward biased.
• b) Current flow is prohibited; the diode is
reversed biased.
Diode Biasing
• When the polarity of the battery is such that
electrons are allowed to flow through the diode,
the diode is said to be forward-biased.
Conversely, when the battery is “backward” and
the diode blocks current, the diode is said to
be reverse-biased. A diode may be thought of as
like a switch: “closed” when forward-biased and
“open” when reverse-biased.
Diode Biasing
• The essential difference between forward-bias
and reverse-bias is the polarity of the voltage
dropped across the diode. Let’s take a closer look
at the simple battery-diode-lamp circuit shown
earlier, this time investigating voltage drops
across the various components in Figure .
Diode Biasing

• Diode circuit voltage measurements: (a) Forward biased.

(b) Reverse biased.
Diode Biasing
• A forward-biased diode conducts current and drops a
small voltage across it, leaving most of the battery
voltage dropped across the lamp. If the battery’s
polarity is reversed, the diode becomes reverse-biased,
and drops all of the battery’s voltage leaving none for
the lamp. If we consider the diode to be a self-actuating
switch (closed in the forward-bias mode and open in
the reverse-bias mode), this behavior makes sense. The
most substantial difference is that the diode drops a lot
more voltage when conducting than the average
mechanical switch (0.7 volts versus tens of millivolts).
Diode Biasing
• This forward-bias voltage drop exhibited by the
diode is due to the action of the depletion region
formed by the P-N junction under the influence
of an applied voltage. If no voltage applied is
across a semiconductor diode, a thin depletion
region exists around the region of the P-N
junction, preventing current flow. (Figure
below (a)) The depletion region is almost devoid
of available charge carriers, and acts as an
insulator: