TYPES OF DIODE

Randell
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

PN Junction Are used to allow current to flow in one direction while blocking
current flow in the opposite direction. The pn junction diode is the
Diodes: typical diode that has been used in most circuits.
Forward-bias
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Zener Diodes: Are specifically designed to operate under reverse breakdown

conditions. These diodes have a very accurate and specific reverse
breakdown voltage. This diode runs in reverse bias condition when
the voltage reaches the breakdown point. A stable voltage can be
achieved by placing a resistor across it to limit the current. This
diode is used to provide reference voltage in power supply circuits.
Reverse-bias
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Avalanche Diode:
This diode conducts in reverse bias condition where the reverse bias volage applied across the p-n junction
creates a wave of ionization leading to the flow of large current. These didoes are designed to breakdown
at specific reverse voltage in order to avoid any damage.

The Zener diode exhibits an apparently similar effect in addition to Zener breakdown. Both effects are
actually present in any such diode, but one usually dominates the other. Avalanche diodes are optimized
for avalanche effect so they exhibit small but significant voltage drop under breakdown conditions, unlike
Zener diodes that always maintain a voltage higher than breakdown. This feature provides better surge
protection than simple Zener diode and acts more like a gas discharge tube replacement. Avalanche diodes
have a small positive temperature coefficient of voltage, where diodes relying on the Zener effect have a
negative temperature coefficient
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Light-Emitting Light-emitting diodes are designed with a very large bandgap so

movement of carriers across their depletion region emits photons
Diodes: of light energy. Lower bandgap LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) emit
infrared radiation, while LEDs with higher bandgap energy emit
visible light. Many stop lights are now starting to use LEDs because
they are extremely bright and last longer than regular bulbs for a
relatively low cost. Forward-bias

The arrows in the LED

representation indicate
emitted light.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Photodiodes:
While LEDs emit light, Photodiodes are sensitive to received light. They are constructed so
their pn junction can be exposed to the outside through a clear window or lens.
In Photoconductive mode the saturation current increases in proportion to the intensity of the
received light. This type of diode is used in CD players.
In Photovoltaic mode, when the pn junction is exposed to a certain wavelength of light, the
diode generates voltage and can be used as an energy source. This type of diode is used in the
production of solar power.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Varactor diode/Varicap: This diode works in reverse bias condition and restricts the flow of
current thorugh the junction. Depending on the amount of biasing,
the width of the depletion region keeps varying. This diode
comprises of two plates of a capacitor with the depletion region
amidst them. The variation in capacitance depends upon the
depletion region and this can varied by altering the reverse bias on
the diode.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Shockley Diodes: The Shockley diode is a four-layer diode while other diodes are
normally made with only two layers. These types of diodes are
generally used to control the average power delivered to a load.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Tunnel diode: This diode is heavily doped in the forward bias condition that has a
negative resistance at extremely low voltage and a short circuit in
the negative bias direction. This diode is useful as a microwave
ampilifer and in oscillators.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

PIN diode: This diode has intrinsic semiconductor sandwiched between P- type and N-
type region. Doping does not occur in this type of diode and thereby the
intrinsic semiconductor increases the width of the depletion region. They are
used as ohtodiodes and radio frequency switches.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Laser diode:
A laser diode, or LD, is an electrically pumped semiconductor laser in which the active laser
medium is formed by a p-n junction of a semiconductor diode similar to that found in a light-
emitting diode.
The laser diode is the most common type of laser produced with a wide range of uses that include,
but are not limited to, fiber optic communications, barcode readers, laser pointers, CD/DVD/Blu-ray
Disc reading and recording, laser printing, laser scanning and increasingly directional lighting
sources.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Gunn diode:
A Gunn diode, also known as a transferred electron device (TED), is a form of diode, a two-
terminal passive semiconductor electronic component, with negative resistance, used in high-
frequency electronics. Its largest use is in electronic oscillators to generate microwaves, in
applications such as radar speed guns and microwave relay data link transmitters.
Its internal construction is unlike other diodes in that it consists only of N-
doped semiconductor material, whereas most diodes consist of both P and N-doped regions. It
therefore does not conduct in only one direction and cannot rectify alternating current like other
diodes, which is why some sources do not use the term diode and prefer TED. In the Gunn diode,
three regions exist: two of them are heavily N-doped on each terminal, with a thin layer of lightly
doped material in between.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

Schottky Diodes: These diodes are designed to have a very fast switching time which
makes them a great diode for digital circuit applications. They are
very common in computers because of their ability to be switched
on and off so quickly.
Semiconductor Notation
Types of Junction Diode
 Sources

Dailey, Denton. Electronic Devices and Circuits, Discrete and Integrated. Prentice Hall, New Jersey:
2001. (pp 2-37, 752-753)
2 Figure 1.10. The diode transconductance curve, pg. 7
Figure 1.15. Determination of the average forward resistance of a diode, pg 11
3 Example from pages 13-14
Liou, J.J. and Yuan, J.S. Semiconductor Device Physics and Simulation. Plenum Press, New York: 1998.
Neamen, Donald. Semiconductor Physics & Devices. Basic Principles. McGraw-Hill, Boston: 1997. (pp
1-15, 211-234)
1 Figure 6.2. The space charge region, the electric field, and the forces acting on the
charged carriers, pg 213.