Pin Diode Forward Current

April 14, 2018

This is the property of a pin diode that enables the device to be used as the rf power control element in linear attenuators and modulators. At the lower frequencies r s is not constant but increases as the frequency is lowered.

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Thus with the reduction in the width of depletion layer current starts increasing.

Pin diode forward current. Pin diode fundamentals. At high frequencies the pin diode appears as a resistor whose resistance is an inverse function of its forward current. A pin diode behaves as a current controlled resistor at radio and microwave frequencies.

The normal pin diodes which are designed to. These specifications ensure a wide range of diode resistance which is particularly important in attenuator applications. Specified at 100 ma forward bias current.

For some pin diodes microsemi specifies not only the r s max but also the r s min at a lower forward bias current 10ua. Consequently pin diode can be used in some variable attenuator designs as amplitude modulators or output leveling circuits. This application note describes the use of pin diodes in circuit design.

Diode current equation expresses the relationship between the current flowing through the diode as a function of the voltage applied across it. This reduces the forward resistance of the diode and it behaves like a variable resistance. When the pin diode is forward biased.

Mathematically it is given as where i is the current flowing through the diode i0 is the dark saturation current q is the charge on the electron v. Please view our large selection of pin diodes below. Forward biased pin diode when the diode is kept forward biased the charges are continuously injected into the i region from the p and n region.

It is a silicon semiconductor diode in which a high resistivity intrinsic i region is sandwiched between a p type and n type region. The forward biased pin diode behaves as a current controlled resistor that presents a linear resistance to the flow of rf current through the diode. When the pin diode is forward biased the gradual increase in forward voltage decreases the width of the depletion layer at p i junction p type and intrinsic layer junction.

Pin diodes are available at mouser electronics from industry leading manufacturersmouser is an authorized distributor for many pin diode manufacturers including broadcom infineon ma com nxp skyworks more. Like the conventional pn diode it allows current flow in one direction when forward biased but not in the other when it is reverse biased. The pin diode is used as a photo detector to convert the light into the current which takes place in the depletion layer of a photo diode rising the depletion layer by inserting the intrinsic layer progresses the performance by increasing the volume in where light change occurs.

Pin diodes might be used for example as the bridge and shunt resistors in a bridged t attenuator. The pin diode is a current controlled resistor at radio and microwave frequencies.