scope:

General.

Introduction. This section contains information on the various types of semiconductor diodes used in electronic equipment. Each type, although having essentially the same general construction, is specifically modified in die size, pellet metallization, doping, passivation, and physical configuration to accomplish a specific function. This includes small signal detection, rectification, switching, voltage reference, voltage regulation, variable capacitance, high voltage-high current rectification, transient suppression function, digital logic applications using diode arrays, and photo diction. The active portion of a diode is a semiconductors pn junction. The pn junctions are formed in various kinds of semiconductors by several techniques. The principal processes are either diffusion of a p- or an n-type metal into an n-type base. Another process uses a metal -semiconductor barrier type of junction (rather than the diffused type pn junction)t to make a schottky diode.