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Various semiconductor diodes. Left: A four-diode bridge rectifier.Next to it is a 1N4148 signal diode.On the far right is a Zener diode.In most diodes, a white or black painted band identifies the cathode into which electrons will flow when the diode is conducting.
A p–n diode is a type of semiconductor diode based upon the p–n junction. The diode conducts current in only one direction, and it is made by joining a p-type semiconducting layer to an n-type semiconducting layer. Semiconductor diodes have multiple uses including rectification of alternating current to direct current, in the detection of ...
Zener diodes have a low breakdown voltage. A standard value for breakdown voltage is for instance 5.6 V. This means that the voltage at the cathode cannot be more than about 5.6 V higher than the voltage at the anode (though there is a slight rise with current), because the diode breaks down, and therefore conducts, if the voltage gets any higher.
The two types of diode are in fact constructed in similar ways and both effects are present in diodes of this type. In silicon diodes up to about 5.6 volts, the Zener effect is the predominant effect and shows a marked negative temperature coefficient. Above 5.6 volts, the avalanche effect dominates and exhibits a positive temperature coefficient.
The terms anode and cathode are not defined by the voltage polarity of electrodes, but are usually defined by the direction of current through the electrode. An anode usually is the electrode of a device through which conventional current (positive charge) flows into the device from an external circuit, while a cathode usually is the electrode through which conventional current flows out of ...
Three 1N4148 diodes in glass DO-35 axial package. The black band on the right is the cathode side. Diode schematic symbol vs cathode marking on the package. The 1N4148 is a standard silicon switching signal diode. It is one of the most popular and long-lived switching diodes because of its dependable specifications and low cost.
Diode circuit implementing OR in active-high logic. Each input connects to the anode of a diode. All cathodes are connected to the output, which has a pull-down resistor. If any input is high, its diode will be forward-biased and conduct current, and thus pull the output voltage high [b].
At high frequencies, the PIN diode appears as a resistor whose resistance is an inverse function of its forward current. Consequently, PIN diode can be used in some variable attenuator designs as amplitude modulators or output leveling circuits. PIN diodes might be used, for example, as the bridge and shunt resistors in a bridged-T attenuator.