The Schottky diode, also known as a hot-carrier diode or leaky-carrier diode, is the most popular semiconductor diode invented by Walter H. Schottky in 1926. In the early days, wireless devices & metal rectifiers used cat’s whisker detectors within power applications and these detectors can be considered as primitive Schottky diodes. So, let us see why a Schottky diode is so special? What is Schottky Diode? A Schottky diode is a special type of metal-semiconductor junction diode that … [Read more...]
What is a Freewheeling Diode : Circuit & Its Working
In different circuits, a switching element switches at a fixed frequency to manage the load’s voltage. Once the switching element activates then an extremely high voltage spike because of the stored energy within the magnetic field of the inductive load comes into view across the switching element terminals in switch OFF condition so, it may destroy the switching element. To disperse this energy, the freewheeling diode is utilized. When the switching element is deactivated then the load can … [Read more...]
What is Avalanche Diode : Working & Its Applications
A semiconductor diode like an avalanche diode is similar to a Zener diode and this diode operates within the region of reverse bias. The symbol of this diode is the same as a Zener because it is one kind of PN junction diode. The designing of this diode can be done in such a way that, it can resist the breakdown of avalanche without damaging when the reverse current suddenly increased because, when the current increases suddenly within the PN junction diode, then it can damage. To overcome … [Read more...]
What is a Crystal Diode : Construction & Its Working
A diode is a semiconductor device through which current supplies in one direction only. The initial diodes were crystal diodes which are used as rectifiers in radio kits. In this diode, a weak signal was fed into the crystal material using a very fine wire namely the cat's whisker. The crystal material in the diode removes the high-frequency carrier signal of radio by allowing the elements of the signal through the audio data to approach through clear. The crystal material was packed with … [Read more...]
What is an Ideal Diode : Working & Its Characteristics
An ideal diode is one kind of electronic component that includes two terminals and allows the flow of current in only one direction because it has less zero resistance in one way and infinite resistance in another way. The most frequently used type of diode is a semiconductor diode. It is a crystalline part of semiconductor material that includes a PN junction and it is connected to two electrical terminals. The first semiconductor electronic devices are semiconductor diodes. At present, most … [Read more...]
What is IMPATT Diode : Construction & Its Working
The concept of IMPATT diode was actually invented in the year 1954 by William Shockley. So, he expanded the idea for producing a negative resistance with the help of a mechanism like transit time delay. He proposed the injection technique for charge carriers within a PN junction is forward biased and published his thought in the Technical Journal of Bell Systems in 1954 and titled with the name 'Negative Resistance Occurring from Transit Time within Semiconductor Diodes. Further, the proposal … [Read more...]
What is PIN Diode : Construction, Working & Its Applications
We know that there are different types of diodes are used in different applications based on the requirement like Varactor diode, Schottky diode, LED, Zener diode, etc. Even though, the most popular diode including a basic PN- junction is also used in different circuits which are called a PIN diode. As compared with a normal PN junction diode, this kind of diode is different because this diode includes three layers like P, I & N whereas the PN junction diode includes two layers like P & … [Read more...]
What is Gunn Diode : Construction & Its Working
In GaAs semiconductor materials, the electrons are present in two states like high mass low velocity & low mass high velocity. By the demand of an adequate electric field, the electrons are forced to move from a low mass state to a high mass state. At this specific state, electrons can form a group & moves at a consistent rate that can cause to flow current in a series of pulses. So this is known as Gunn Effect which is used by Gunn diodes. These diodes are the best and most frequently … [Read more...]
What is Tunnel Diode : Working & Its Applications
A tunnel diode was discovered by Leo Esaki in the year 1958. He noticed that if a semiconductor diode is doped heavily through impurities, then it will generate negative resistance that means the flow of current across the diode will decreases once the voltage enhances. Leo Esaki got the Nobel Prize in the physics subject for inventing the effect of electron tunneling that is used in these types of diodes in the year 1973. These diodes are one of the most important solid-state electronic … [Read more...]
What is Laser Diode – Construction & Its Working
In present photonics technology, LASER diodes play an essential role. The term LASER stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation". A Laser Diode is a p-n junction diode that emits laser radiation once the current is applied in forward direction. These diodes operate on the optical & electrical properties of semiconductor materials & PN junctions. The process used to emit coherent light in this diode is stimulated emission whereas, in light-emitting diodes, the … [Read more...]