Back diode: Difference between revisions

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* Tunnel diode switching circuits and the back diode. Service Scope [[Media:Service Scope 38 Jun 1966.pdf  | No. 38, June 1966]] and [[Media:Service Scope 39 Aug 1966.pdf  | No. 39, August 1966]]
* Tunnel diode switching circuits and the back diode. Service Scope [[Media:Service Scope 38 Jun 1966.pdf  | No. 38, June 1966]] and [[Media:Service Scope 39 Aug 1966.pdf  | No. 39, August 1966]]
* [[Russian tunnel diodes#Back_diodes|Russian back diodes]]
* [[Russian tunnel diodes#Back_diodes|Russian back diodes]]


<gallery>
<gallery>
1963 RCA Tunnel Diode Manual p14.png
1963 RCA Tunnel Diode Manual p14.png | Back diode in 1963 RCA Tunnel Diode Manual ("tunnel rectifier")
BD1 to BD7 data.png
BD1 to BD7 data.png | RCA BD-1 to BD-7 data
</gallery>
</gallery>


[[Category:Tunnel diodes]]
[[Category:Tunnel diodes]]

Latest revision as of 04:53, 14 February 2019

Characteristics of a BD4 back diode

A Back diode or Backward diode is a tunnel diode that has better conduction for small reverse biases (typically –0.1 to –0.6 V) than for forward bias voltages.

Compared to a typical tunnel diode, one side of the junction is less heavily doped than the other, leading to a reduced effect of tunneling in the forward direction (a much less prominent negative resistance area). In the reverse direction, there is strong conduction at very low voltages already.

Among other purposes, it can be used as a rectifier for small signals, and will work at very high frequencies (50+ GHz) due to the absence of charge storage. When used as a rectifier, the reverse direction is used to conduct, whereas the forward direction blocks current flow for small signals (see diagram). This use which is "backward" from how a normal diode would rectify a signal has given the back diode its name.

Examples of back diodes include:

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