Diode Operation

• A diode is a two-terminal semiconductor device formed by two doped regions of silicon separated by a pn junction;
• In this chapter, the most common category of diode, known as the general-purpose diode, is covered;
• Other names, such as rectifier diode or signal diode, depend on the particular type of application for which the diode was designed;
• You will learn how to use a voltage to cause the diode to conduct current in one direction and block it in the other direction;
• This process is called biasing;