Diodes are semiconductor components made from a P-type (or metal in Schottky diodes) and N-type material (usually silicon, but germanium, selenium, and gallium arsenide can also be used), that allow current to flow in one direction only.

There are many types of diodes:

  • Rectifying diode
  • Zener diode
  • Signal diode
  • Schottky diode
  • Avalanche diode
  • Photodiode
  • Light Emitting Diode (LED)
  • Laser diode
  • Tunnel diode
  • Varactor diode
  • Vacuum tube diode

Overview pages

Diodes overview, Diode types, applications

Type of diodes

Diodes overview, Diode types, applications (unattributed copying, but useful)