Forwardjännitteessä

Forwardjännitteessä, often translated as forward voltage, refers to the voltage applied across a semiconductor device, such as a diode or a transistor, in a way that allows current to flow through it. For a p-n junction diode, forward voltage is applied with the positive terminal connected to the p-type material and the negative terminal connected to the n-type material. This condition causes the depletion region at the junction to narrow, reducing the barrier to charge carrier movement. Once the applied forward voltage exceeds a certain threshold, known as the turn-on voltage or knee voltage, significant current begins to flow. This turn-on voltage varies depending on the semiconductor material used; for silicon diodes it is typically around 0.7 volts, while for germanium diodes it is around 0.3 volts. In transistors, forward biasing specific junctions is crucial for their amplification or switching functions. The forward voltage is therefore a fundamental parameter in understanding and operating semiconductor electronic components.