Date：2025-03-18 Categories：Industry News Hits：818 From：Guangdong Youfeng Microelectronics Co., Ltd(YFW)
A Zener diode, also known as a germaniumode, is a commonly used type of diode. It was invented by the German physicist Zener in the early 20th century, hence its name. The Z diode is a semiconductor device made of germanium material, with two electrodes, namely the positive pole (anode) and the negative pole (cathode). Essentially a Zener diode is a PN junction diode, which has the characteristics of forward conduction and reverse cutoff. Working principle: 1. Forward bias (conducting state When a sufficient voltage is applied to the forward connection of the Zener diode, electrons flow from the N-type region to the P-type region, and holes flow from P-type region to the N-type region, causing the PN junction region to conduct and forming a current flow. In this case, the Zener diode exhibits a low state, and the voltage drop across it is small. 2. Reverse bias (cutoff state): When a reverse voltage is applied to the Zener diode, an field is formed due to the presence of the PN junction, which completely isolates the holes and electrons, preventing current from flowing through the diode. At this time, the di is in a high resistance state, known as the reverse cutoff state. Application circuits: 1. Rectifier: The Zener diode can be used as a diode a half-wave rectifier or a full-wave rectifier circuit, converting an alternating signal into a direct signal. 2. Voltage regulator: The Zener diode be combined with other components to form a voltage regulator circuit, which is used to stabilize the output voltage. 3. Switch circuit: The Zener diode can be used as switch, controlling the operation of a circuit by switching between the conducting and cutoff states. 4. Demodulator: The Zener diode can be used as a demod in a radio receiver, converting radio frequency signals into audio signals. It should be noted that although Zener diodes have been replaced by more advanced silicon diodes and other semiconductor, they are still used in some low-frequency applications.
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