Article
Article
Semiconductor rectifier
Article By:
Burns, Stanley G. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.614200
A semiconductor diode that is used in rectification and power control. The semiconductor diode conducts current preferentially in one direction and inhibits the flow of current in the opposite direction by utilizing the properties of a junction formed from two differently doped semiconductor materials (Fig. 1). Doped silicon is by far the most widely used semiconductor. Semiconductor diodes are intrinsic to integrated circuits and discrete device technology and are used to perform a wide variety of isolation, switching, signal processing, level shifting, biasing, control, and alternating-current (ac) to direct-current (dc) conversion functions. This article focuses on using the semiconductor diode for ac-to-dc conversion, called rectification, as well as ac and dc power-control applications. See also: Controlled rectifier; Rectifier; Semiconductor; Semiconductor diode
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