1. The Semiconductor Diode

A diode is made from a small piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon, in which half is doped as a p region and half is doped as an n region with a pn junction and depletion region in between. The p region is called the anode and is connected to a conductive terminal. The n region is called the cathode and is connected to a second conductive terminal. The basic diode structure and schematic symbol are shown below.

 

The figure below shows typical diode packages for surface mounting on a printed circuit board.