Kiseldioder

Kiseldioder, or silicon diodes, are two-terminal semiconductor devices that conduct current primarily in one direction. They are formed from silicon using a PN junction and are among the most widely used components in electronics, serving in rectification, switching, and protection applications.

Construction and operation: A silicon diode consists of p-type and n-type silicon regions joined together. When forward biased, the depletion region narrows and electrons and holes cross the junction, allowing current to flow. The typical forward voltage drop for a silicon diode at moderate current is about 0.6 to 0.7 volts. In reverse bias, only a small leakage current flows until breakdown occurs at a prescribed reverse voltage.

Variants and characteristics: Common silicon diodes include standard rectifier diodes for power conversion, fast-switching diodes for high-speed circuits, and Schottky diodes which use a metal–semiconductor junction and exhibit lower forward drops and faster switching. Zener diodes are designed to regulate voltage by exploiting controlled reverse breakdown. Diodes exhibit temperature-dependent leakage, and their switching speed and reverse-recovery behavior depend on construction and doping.

Applications and manufacturing: Silicon diodes are used in power supplies, radio frequency circuits, signal demodulation, protection circuits such as reverse-polarity and flyback protection, and many other roles. They are manufactured on silicon wafers using diffusion or ion implantation to form doped regions, followed by metallization and packaging in various leaded or surface-mount formats.