Diffused p-n Junction Silicon Rectifiers

Diffused p-n junction silicon rectifiers incorporating the feature of conductivity modulation are being developed. These rectifiers are made by the diffusion of impurities into thin wafers of high-resistivity silicon. Three development models with attractive electrical characteristics are described which have current ratings from 0 to 100 amperes with inverse peak voltages greater than 200 volts. These devices are attractive from an engineering standpoint since their behavior is predictable, one process permits the fabrication of an entire class of rectifiers, and large enough elements can be processed so that power dissipation is limited only by the packaging and mounting of the unit.