Reverse Characteristics Of Diodes

When the applied reverse voltage does not exceed a certain range, the current through the diode is the reverse current formed by the drift movement of minority carriers. Since the reverse current is small, the diode is in the off state. This reverse current is also called reverse saturation current or leakage current, and the reverse saturation current of the diode is greatly affected by temperature.

Generally, the reverse current of silicon tube is much smaller than that of germanium tube. The reverse saturation current of low-power silicon tube is in the order of nA, and the low-power germanium tube is in the order of μA. When the temperature increases, the semiconductor is thermally excited, the number of minority carriers increases, and the reverse saturation current also increases.