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mmmboh
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Hi I have been looking through my book, and even online for the answer because I don't understand why this happens, but I can't find the proper answer anywhere...can someone help me? Thanks.
A diode is a semiconductor device that allows current to flow in only one direction. It consists of a PN junction, where one side is doped with a certain type of material (P-type) and the other side is doped with a different type of material (N-type). When a voltage is applied in the forward direction, the majority charge carriers (electrons and holes) are able to flow through the diode, allowing current to pass. In the reverse direction, the majority charge carriers are blocked by the PN junction, resulting in no current flow.
When a diode is reversed, the majority charge carriers are blocked by the PN junction. This means that there are no carriers available to conduct current, resulting in a net current of zero.
In theory, some current can still flow in the reverse direction due to minority charge carriers (electrons in the P-type material and holes in the N-type material) that are able to cross the PN junction. However, this current is very small and is typically ignored in circuit analysis.
If a diode is connected in reverse bias, meaning the positive terminal of a power source is connected to the N-type material and the negative terminal is connected to the P-type material, it will not conduct current. In fact, if the reverse bias voltage exceeds a certain threshold, called the breakdown voltage, it can cause the diode to breakdown and conduct current in the reverse direction.
In the reverse direction, a diode behaves like an open circuit, meaning it has a very high resistance. This is because the PN junction acts as an insulator, preventing current from flowing through the diode. As a result, the diode can be used as a switch to control the flow of current in a circuit.