There are many kinds of diodes: Rectifier Diodes, Fast Recovery Diodes, Switching Diodes, Zener Diodes, Schottky Diodes, and Transient Voltage Suppression Diodes. Today, LCSC electronics supplier Hottech introduced the Zener Diode.
What Are Zener Diodes?
The semiconductor industry has two major branches, integrated circuits and discrete devices. As a fundamental component product, discrete devices can achieve rectification, voltage stabilization, switching, and mixing functions in electronic devices. They have a wide range of applications and a large quantity of usage. There is a high demand for this product in consumer electronics, computers, communication devices, automotive electronics, electronic instrumentation, LED displays, power management, and industrial and automatic control.
Discrete devices include semiconductor diodes, transistors, MOSFETs, bridge rectifiers, thyristors, IGBTs, TVS, bridge stack optoelectronic devices, etc. A diode is a widely used discrete device. It is a two-electrode electronic component with asymmetric conductance. An ideal diode has zero resistance between its two electrodes, the anode, and cathode, when conducting in the forward direction. Conversely, it has infinite resistance when conducting in the reverse direction, allowing current to flow solely in one direction. Rectifier diodes, switching diodes, Schottky diodes, Zener diodes, TVS diodes, and high-frequency diodes are all common.
Zener diodes (also called voltage regulator diodes) are a specially designed diode that provides a stable voltage in the circuit.
The Role of Zener Diode
Its function is to limit the voltage fluctuation in the circuit and ensure that the specific area in the circuit maintains a stable voltage. The zener diode plays a vital role in the following aspects:
- Voltage stabilizer: The zener diode can maintain the input voltage at a fixed level. When the input voltage surpasses a preset value, the zener diode begins to conduct. Zener diodes stabilize the voltage of a circuit by routing excess current around the load. This voltage stabilizer is widely used in various electronic devices and power supply circuits to ensure that circuit components and loads work in the correct voltage range.
- Voltage regulation: The circuit can achieve precise voltage regulation by selecting the suitable zener diode. The voltage of the zener diode is usually between several volts and tens of volts. So, it can provide these voltage levels.
- Overvoltage protection: The zener diode conducts in the circuit only if the input voltage surpasses the predetermined threshold. That can prevent excessive voltage from damaging the circuit and load. Therefore, the zener diode serves as an overvoltage protection device.
In a word, the role of the Zener diode is to ensure that the voltage in the circuit remains stable, and it can provide voltage regulation and overvoltage protection.
How Are Diodes Fabricated?
The structure of the diode includes PN junction + shell + lead. Hottech’s purchasing personnel prepare the materials and transport them to the packaging and testing center. The production processes include wafer cutting, die solidification/core mounting, wire bonding/bonding, plastic sealing and solidification, electroplating, bar cutting and forming, product testing, marking, taping, and finished product packaging. Hottech has specialized laboratories such as environmental testing laboratories and product appearance analysis laboratories. The company’s products must undergo rigorous testing to ensure product quality.
