Diode

Context:
- It can (typically) have Low Electrical Resistance in one direction and High Electrical Resistance in the other.
- It can (typically) be made of Semiconductor material with a P–N Junction
- It can be used for rectification of alternating current to direct current, in signal modulation, and for various types of electronic circuits such as power conversion circuits.
- It can be characterized by its reverse breakdown voltage, beyond which it can conduct in the reverse direction, potentially leading to device failure if this limit is exceeded without proper protection.
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Example(s):
- a Light Emitting Diode (LED), which emits light when current flows through it.
- a Schottky Diode, known for its low forward voltage drop and fast switching speed.
- a Zener Diode, which is designed to conduct in the reverse direction when a specific reverse breakdown voltage is exceeded, useful for voltage regulation.
- an early type made from Mineral Crystals.
- an early type that consisted of a Vacuum Tube with two Electrodes.
- .,..
Counter-Example(s):
- a Transistor, which has three terminals and can amplify or switch electronic signals.
See: Terminal (Electronics), Electronic Component, Electric Current, Electrical Conductance, Electrode, Plate Electrode, Rectification (Electricity), Signal Modulation, Power Conversion.

References

(Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/diode Retrieved:2017-12-1.
- A diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts current primarily in one direction (asymmetric conductance); it has low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material with a p–n junction connected to two electrical terminals. A vacuum tube diode has two electrodes, a plate (anode) and a heated cathode. Semiconductor diodes were the first semiconductor electronic devices. The discovery of crystals' rectifying abilities was made by German physicist Ferdinand Braun in 1874. The first semiconductor diodes, called cat's whisker diodes, developed around 1906, were made of mineral crystals such as galena. Today, most diodes are made of silicon, but other materials such as selenium and germanium are sometimes used.