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Important Facts About Diodes | diodes in electronics|

Writer's picture: Nagashree R NadigNagashree R Nadig

Updated: Sep 15, 2024

A #diode is a two-terminal electronic component that allows the current to flow through it in one direction. Some of the key points to understand about these diodes are,

  • The unidirectional property of the diode enables it to behave as a rectifier. They are usually used to convert alternating current to pulsating direct current.

  • An ideal diode offers zero resistance to the current flow when it is forward and, it offers infinite resistance to the current when it's reverse biased.

  • Most of the diodes in recent times are made of semiconductor materials with a p-n junction. The semiconductor materials commonly used are silicon, germanium and, gallium arsenide.




  • The p-n junction diode has a depletion region whose width varies depending on the biasing condition applied across the diode.

  • A schematic representation of a semiconductor diode is shown in the following figure. In the case of forward-biased conditions, the anode is connected to the p side and the cathode is connected to the n side. Thus in the diode symbol given below, the arrowhead represents the conventional flow of current for the forward bias condition.


A semiconductor diode
A semiconductor diode


Diodes biasing and its characteristic curves

  • In the forward bias condition, the p side is connected to a positive voltage and, the n side is connected to a negative voltage across the diode. While in the reverse biased condition, the p side is connected to a negative potential, and the n is connected to a positive potential.

  • The figure below shows the #VIcharacteristics of an ideal diode and a real semiconductor diode for forward and, reverse bias conditions.


Diode Characteristics
Diode Characteristics

  • Early diodes were vacuum tubes, evacuated glass, or metal electron tubes containing two electrodes- a negatively charged cathode and a positively charged anode.

  • There are different types of diodes such as Light Emitting Diode, Laser Diode, Avalanche Diode, Zener Diode, Photodiode, Schottky diode, and #PNjunction diode.

  • Logic gates, rectifier circuits, clipping circuits, clamping circuits, wave shaping are some of the diode applications.


Written by-

Name- Nagashree R Nadig


See also-


P-N Junction diode:

P-N Junction diode:

Light emitting diode (LED) :



Light emitting diode (LED) :




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