Semiconductor Diodes

Semiconductor

A class of elements with conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator.

Intrinsic Material

A pure semiconductor with no impurities added, exhibiting its natural electrical characteristics.

Extrinsic Material

A semiconductor that has been treated with impurities to modify its electrical properties.

Doping

The process of adding impurities to a pure semiconductor to change its electrical properties.

n-Type Material

A semiconductor created by doping with pentavalent impurities, providing extra electrons.

p-Type Material

A semiconductor formed by doping with trivalent impurities, creating holes for electron movement.

Covalent Bonding

A type of atomic bonding where atoms share valence electrons to achieve stability.

Depletion Region

The area in a semiconductor junction where there are no free carriers due to recombination of electrons and holes.

Forward Bias Condition

A condition in which a positive voltage is applied to the p-type material and a negative voltage to the n-type material, reducing the depletion region.

Reverse Bias Condition

A condition in which the positive voltage is applied to the n-type material and negative to the p-type material, widening the depletion region.

Breakdown Potential

The voltage at which a diode experiences a sharp change in characteristics and allows current to flow in reverse.

Zener Diode

A type of diode that allows current to flow in reverse when a specific reverse voltage (Zener voltage) is reached, used for voltage regulation.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

A diode that emits light when an electric current passes through it, used in various applications including displays and indicators.

Energy Gap

The range of energy levels that an electron must overcome to move from the valence band to the conduction band in a semiconductor.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outer shell of an atom that can participate in forming covalent bonds.

Transistor Count

The number of transistors on a single integrated circuit chip, which has been predicted to double roughly every two years.

Integrated Circuit (IC)

A semiconductor device that combines multiple electronic components into a single chip to perform various functions.