Zener Diode Characteristics:

Zener Diode Applications:

• Zener Diode Shunt Regulator- This diode is commonly employed as a Voltage Regulator or Shunt Regulator.
• Meter Protection- This diode may also come across its functions in meter security.
• Zener Diode as Peak Clipper- This diodes can be employed to cut off the maximum value of incoming waveform.
• Switching operation- This diode can generate an unexpected alteration from low to high current, so it is functional in switching applications. It is relatively speedy in switching processes.

P-N Junction Diode:

• Modification in power supplying circuits
• Mining of modulation from broadcasting signals in a radio recipient and in security circuits where big transient currents may emerge on ICs or low current transistors in interfacing with relays or other soaring power appliances.
• Employed in series with power inputs to electric circuits where just 1 positive or negative polarity voltage is required.

Schottky Diode:

A schottky diode is also identified as hot electron diode or schottky barrier diode. It has a stumpy forward voltage drop with extremely quick switching features. Schottky barrier diode is a solid state diode in which the joint is shaped by the contact of a metal semiconductor. The hot electron diode is generally made-up from N-kind of material or slightly doped substrate and a metal like aluminum. An exceedingly doped substrate may provide a reduced ohmic contact and an elevated series of resistance, therefore not sensible. The metal has been dissolved or stammered on top of the semi-conductor. The hot carrier diode is another kind of schottky diode. Some of the common kinds of schottky diode are- 1n5818, 1n5817, 1n5819.

Benefits of Schottky Diode:

• Rapid switching with quicker revival time.
• Lower intersection capacitance.
• Less power loss due to low turn on/forward voltage.

Tunnel Diode:

A tunnel diode is a highly conducting two terminal p-n jnction diode doped heavily approximately 1000 times upper than a usual junction diode. A tunnel diode is also named as Esaki diode, it’s named after Esaki diode who is a Nobel prize winner in physics for discovering electron tunneling outcome employed in these diodes. Tunnel diodes are helpful in several circuit purposes like in- microwave oscillation, binary memory & microwave amplification. Tunnel diodes are generally made-up from gallium or germanium or gallium arsenide. These all comprise tiny prohibited energy breaks and elevated ion motilities. Silicon is not utilized in the manufacturing of tunnel diodes owing to its low value (Ip,I v).

Light Emitting Diode or LED:

LED is a semiconductor appliance that produces visible light beams or infrared light beams when an electric current is passed through it. Visible LEDs can be seen in several electronic devices such as microwaves’ number display light, brake lights, and even cameras to make use of Infrared LEDs. In LEDs (light emitting diodes) light is created by a solid situation procedure which is named as electroluminescence.

Light emitting diodes are available in various colors like- orange, red, yellow, amber, green, white & blue. Blue & white LEDs are more costly in comparison to other LEDs. The color of a Light emitting diodes is decided by the semi-conductor substance, not by the coloring the plastic of the body.

Varactor Diode:

Varicap or Varactor diode is that shows the attributes of a variable capacitor. The exhaustion area at the p-n junction behaves as the di-electric and plates of an ordinary capacitor and grounds expansion and contraction by the voltage applied to the varicap diode. This action boosts and reduces the capacitance. The graphic symbol for the varicap diode is shown below. Varactors are employed in fine-tuning circuits and can be employed as high frequency amplifiers.

Even though varactor or varicap diodes can be employed inside several sorts of circuit, they discover applications inside 2 key areas:-

1. RF filters
2. Voltage controlled oscillators, VCOs

Gunn Diode:

Gun diodes can also be called as TED (transferred electron devices). These are basically employed in microwave RF devices for frequencies amid 1 and 100 GHz. As microwave RF devices contain Gunn diodes it produces microwave RF signals. The Gunn diode may also be employed for an amplifier and may be acknowledged as TEA (transferred electron amplifier). As Gunn diodes are simple to bring into play, they figure a comparatively low priced technique for producing microwave RF signals.

Gunn diode symbol for circuit diagrams is as follows:

This gun diode is a distinctive component, although it’s named as diode, it doesn’t comprise of a p-n diode junction. Gunn diodes can be named as diodes because it has 2 electrodes. Gunn diodes are made from a solitary part of n-type semi-conductor. The most ordinary materials used are GaAs, InP Indium Phosphide, and gallium Arsenide.

Pin Diode:

A PIN diode is a diode with a broad, slightly doped close to inherent semi-conductor area amid an n-type semiconductor and p-type semi-conductor area. The n-type & p-type areas are usually heavily doped for the reason that they are employed for ohmic contacts. The broad inherent area formulates the PIN diode a low rectifier (the common purpose of a diode), but it formulates the PIN diode appropriate for fast switches, photo-detectors, attenuators, and high voltage power electric devices.

Laser Diode:

Laser diode is also named as diode laser or injection diode. It is a semi-conductor appliance that generates coherent radiation (where waves are at similar phase & frequency) in the infrared (IR) or visible spectrum when current is passed via laser diode. Laser diodes are employed in CD (compact disc) players, remote control devices, intrusion detection systems, optical fiber systems and laser printers.

Schematic symbol of laser diode

Laser diodes vary from usual lasers, like the He-Ne (helium-neon), gas & ruby types, in a number of ways:-

• Laser diodes are small in weight & size
• Laser diodes are Low in intensity
• Laser diodes has wide-angle beam
• Laser diodes require low current, voltage & power

Photo Diode:

Photo diodes are extensively used in various kinds of electronics such as detectors in compact disc players to optical telecommunications systems. Photo diode technology is popular because its trouble-free, inexpensive yet strong configuration. As photodiodes provide dissimilar properties, various photodiode technologies are utilized in a number of areas. There are 4 types of photo diodes-

• PN photodiode
• PIN photodiode
• Schottky photodiode
• Avalanche photodiode

Semiconductor Diode:

A diode which is created from semi-conductor material generally- silicon, is known as semiconductor diode. The cathode is negatively charged therefore has a surplus of electrons, is positioned neighboring to the anode, which has intrinsically positive charge, giving a surplus of holes. At this intersection a exhaustion area is created, with no electrons nor holes. Exhaustion area becomes small when a positive voltage is provided to the anode, and current flows; Exhaustion area becomes large when a negative voltage is provides at the anode, thereby stopping current flow.

Read the post: Semiconductor diode Characteristics And Applications to get more information.

Impatt Diode:

IMPatt ionization Avalanche Transit Time (Impaat) diode is RF semi-conductor appliance that is utilized for producing microwave radio frequency signals. IMPATT diodes are perfect where small money-making microwave radio supplies are required. These Impatt diodes make brilliant signal supplies for numerous RF microwave devices.

Usually the appliance is utilized in numerous devices including:

• Alarms
• Detectors with RF technology
• Radar

Power Diode:

This is a two terminal diode with p-n junction appliance and a p-n junction usually created by permitting circulation & epitaxial developed construction of a power diode. High power diodes are silicon rectifiers that can function at high intersection temperature. Power diodes have superior Voltage, Current & Power managing abilities than usual signal diodes. The power diodes’ applications includes battery charging, electric traction, electro plating, power supplies, electro metal processing, welding ups etc.