Lab No.2
13/08/2020
Observation Of V-I Characteristic of Diode
Objective
Observing voltage-current in diodes by applying a voltage across it and measuring the corresponding
current flowing through it
Components & Tools
Diode
DC voltage supplier
Resistor
Multimeter for measuring current and voltage
Connecting wires
Diode
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 diode vacuum tube or thermionic diode is a vacuum tube with
two electrodes, a heated cathode and a plate, in which electrons can flow in only one direction, from
cathode to plate. A semiconductor diode, the most commonly used type today, is a crystalline piece
of semiconductor material with a p–n junction connected to two electrical terminals.[4] Semiconductor
diodes were the first semiconductor electronic devices. The discovery of asymmetric electrical
conduction across the contact between a crystalline mineral and a metal was made by German
physicist Ferdinand Braun in 1874. Today, most diodes are made of silicon, but other semiconducting
materials such as gallium arsenide and germanium are also used
Figure 1: Diode
DC voltage supplier
Direct current (DC) is the one directional or unidirectional flow electric charge. An electrochemical cell is
a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also
flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even through a vacuum as in electron or ion beams. The
