Gunn Diode:

Gunn diode is a PN junction diode, this sort of diode is a semiconductor device

that has two terminals. Generally, it is used for producing microwave signals
Laser Diode
The laser diode is not the similar as the ordinary LED (light emitting diode)
because it generates coherent light. These diodes are extensively used in many
applications like DVDs, CD drives and laser light pointers for PPTs.
Photodiode
The photodiode is used to detect light. It is found that when light strikes a PN-
junction it can create electrons and holes. Typically, photodiodes operate under
reverse bias condition where even a small amount of flow of current resulting from
the light can be simply noticed.
Schottky Diode
has higher reverse saturation current and lower cut in voltage,The Schottky diode
has a lower forward voltage drop than ordinary Si PN-junction diodes. At low
currents, the voltage drop may be between 0.15 & 0.4 volts as opposed to 0.6 volts
for a Si diode. To attain this performance they are designed in a different way to
compare with normal diodes having a metal to semiconductor contact. These diodes
are extensively used in rectifier application, clamping diodes, and also in RF
applications.
Step Recovery Diode
A step recovery diode is a type of microwave diode used to generate pulses at very
HF (high frequencies). These diodes depend on the diode which has a very fast turn-
off characteristic for their operation.
Large Signal Diode
These diodes have large PN junction layer. Thus the transformation of AC to DC
voltages is unbounded. This also increases the current forward capacity and reverse
blocking voltage. These large signals will disrupt the functional point also. Due
to this it is not suitable for high frequency applications.
Schottky Diode
In this type of diode the junction is formed by contacting the semiconductor
material with metal. Due to this the forward voltage drop is decreased to min. The
semiconductor material is N-type silicon which acts as an anode and the metal acts
as a cathode whose materials are chromium, platinum, tungsten etc.
Due to the metal junction these diodes have high current conducting capability thus
the switching time reduces. So, Schottky has greater use in switching applications.
Mainly because of the metal- semiconductor junction the voltage drop is low which
in turn increase the diode performance and reduces power loss. So, these are used
in high frequency rectifier applications. The symbol of Schottky diode is as shown
below.
Step Recovery Diodes
It is also called as snap-off diode or charge-storage diode. These are the special
type of diodes which stores the charge from positive pulse and uses in the negative
pulse of the sinusoidal signals. The rise time of the current pulse is equal to the
snap time. Due to this phenomenon it has speed recovery pulses.
The applications of these diodes are in higher order multipliers and in pulse
shaper circuits. The cut-off frequency of these diodes is very high which are
nearly at Giga hertz order.

Tunnel Diode
It is used as high speed switch, of order nano-seconds. Due to tunneling effect it
has very fast operation in microwave frequency region. It is a two terminal device
in which concentration of dopants is too high.
The transient response is being limited by junction capacitance plus stray wiring
capacitance. Mostly used in microwave oscillators and amplifiers. It acts as most
negative conductance device. Tunnel diodes can be tuned in both mechanically and
electrically. The symbol of tunnel diode is as shown below.
PIN Diode
The improved version of the normal P-N junction diode gives the PIN diode. In PIN
diode doping is not necessary. The intrinsic material means the material which has
no charge carriers is inserted between the P and N regions which increase the area
of depletion layer.
When we apply forward bias voltage the holes and electrons will pushed into the
intrinsic layer. At some point due to this high injection level the electric field
will conduct through the intrinsic material also. This field made the carriers to
flow from two regions. The symbol of PIN diode is as shown below:
PIN Diode Applications:
Rf Switches: Pin diode is used for both signal and component selection. For example
pin diodes acts as range-switch inductors in low phase noise oscillators.
Attenuators: it is used as bridge and shunt resistance in bridge-T attenuator.
Photo Detectors: it detects x-ray and gamma ray photons.
Gunn diode is fabricated with n-type semiconductor material only. The depletion
region of two N-type materials is very thin. When voltage increases in the circuit
the current also increases. After certain level of voltage the current will
exponentially decrease thus this exhibits the negative differential resistance.
It has two electrodes with Gallium Arsenide and Indium Phosphide due to these it
has negative differential resistance. It is also termed as transferred electron
device. It produces micro wave RF signals so it is mainly used in Microwave RF
devices. It can also use as an amplifier.

-An increase in temperature increases the width of depletion layer ->With increase
in temperature width of depletion layer decrease
-The power dissipation in a transistor is the product of collector current and
collector to emitter voltage.
- VCE should be half of Vcc for amplifier work of BJT.

Gunn diode is a:
A. Negative resistance device

A PIN diode is:

D. Suitable for use as a microwave switch

Tunnel Diode is the P-N junction device that exhibits negative resistance.
The high-impurity P-N junction devices are called as tunnel-diode.

Schottky Barrier Diode : Rectifying diode which has a small knee voltage as well as
a fast switching speed.
Don't has depletion layer and are classed as unipolar devices unlike typical pn-
junction diodes which are bipolar devices.

Thyristor Summary
Silicon Controlled Rectifiers known commonly as Thyristors are three-junction PNPN
semiconductor devices which can be regarded as two inter-connected transistors that
can be used in the switching of heavy electrical loads. They can be latched-�ON� by
a single pulse of positive current applied to their Gate terminal and will remain
�ON� indefinitely until the Anode to Cathode current falls below their minimum
latching level.

Static Characteristics of a Thyristor

Thyristors are semiconductor devices that can operate only in the switching mode.
Thyristor are current operated devices, a small Gate current controls a larger
Anode current.
Conducts current only when forward biased and triggering current applied to the
Gate.
The thyristor acts like a rectifying diode once it is triggered �ON�.
Anode current must be greater than holding current to maintain conduction.
Blocks current flow when reverse biased, no matter if Gate current is applied.
Once triggered �ON�, will be latched �ON� conducting even when a gate current is no
longer applied providing Anode current is above latching current.
Thyristors are high speed switches that can be used to replace electromechanical
relays in many circuits as they have no moving parts, no contact arcing or suffer
from corrosion or dirt. But in addition to simply switching large currents �ON� and
�OFF�, thyristors can be made to control the mean value of an AC load current
without dissipating large amounts of power. A good example of thyristor power
control is in the control of electric lighting, heaters and motor speed.

n an SCR circuit the supply voltage is generally less than that of breakover
voltage