Diodes&Rectifiers

A diode is an electronic device made of semiconductor materials such as silicon, selenium, germanium, etc. The primary function of diodes is to allow the electric current to flow in only one direction. Current can flow from the anode (+) terminal to the cathode (-) terminal, and vice versa. This is achieved by having infinite resistance in one direction and zero resistance in the other direction. One of the most popular diodes is LEDs which are used to emit light.

The rectifier is a type of diode used to convert alternating current to direct current, which has the characteristics of high voltage and high current. It usually consists of a p-n junction formed by a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor, with positive and negative terminals. The rectifier diode has a large current, and most of the diodes are packaged with surface contact materials. When selecting a rectifier diode, parameters such as its maximum rectifier current, maximum reverse working current, cut-off frequency, and reverse recovery time should be considered.