PIN diodes are type of diode (a device that transmits current primarily in one direction) with a wide area of pure semiconductor material in the middle. This area allows the PIN diode to store large amounts of charge. Unlike zener diodes, which generate low power to protect circuits from over-voltage, PIN diodes are specifically designed for use with in high-frequency or high-voltage applications.
How do PIN diodes work?
A PIN diode works using what is known as high-level injection: it will only start to conduct current once the central area of pure semiconductor material reaches a certain level of charge. Because this creates an electrical field that extends deep into the area, it speeds up the transport of charge carriers from one end of the diode to the other. This in turn speeds up the diode's performances.
Applications for PIN diodes
PIN diodes are often used in RF protection circuits, attenuators, fast switches, photo detectors and high-voltage electronics applications.
Description:
The total capacitive charge is small, reducing switching
loss, enabling high-speed switching operation for the Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky Barrier Diodes.
Description:
100 mA low V_F MEGA Schottky barrier rectifier,
Planar Maximum Efficiency General Application (MEGA) Schottky barrier rectifier with an integrated guard ring for stress protection, encapsulated in a SOD882 leadless ultra small Surface-Mounted Device (SMD) plastic package. Average forward current: ...
Description:
A range of Schottky Rectifiers from Vishay Semiconductor.
These diodes exhibit very low forward voltage drop with a very fast switching action. The reverse recovery times of Schottky diodes are extremely short and they are suitable for applications requiring fast ...
