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# Semiconductor has some properties of a conductor as well as some properties of an insulator. It has a critical temperature T0 below which the semiconductor becomes an insulator and above which it acts as a conductor. Conductors are materials with many free electrons and/or holes that allow electric charge to freely move in response to an electric field. An insulator has its electrons firmly bound therefore does not allow electric charge to move in response to an electric field.
 
# Semiconductor has some properties of a conductor as well as some properties of an insulator. It has a critical temperature T0 below which the semiconductor becomes an insulator and above which it acts as a conductor. Conductors are materials with many free electrons and/or holes that allow electric charge to freely move in response to an electric field. An insulator has its electrons firmly bound therefore does not allow electric charge to move in response to an electric field.
# A depleted region is a region where there are no holes and no free electrons in a semiconductor, therefore making it behave as an insulator. The Depleated Region is the area inbetween the P-type and N-type semiconductors in the diode.  
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# A depleted region is a region where there are no holes and no free electrons in a semiconductor, therefore making it behave as an insulator. The Depleated Region is the area inbetween the P-type and N-type semiconductors in the diode. [[Image:Diode_Diagram.JPG|400px]]
[[Image:Diode_Diagram.JPG|center|400px]]
   
# Bias voltage is the voltage it takes to get the diode to start conducting. Below a certain voltage, the diode will no work even in the forward direction. It is the voltage which allows the electrons and holes to overcome the depleted zone and meet with each other, creating current. Reverse Biased means that the positive end of the battery is connected with the n-type semiconductor and the negative end is connected with the p-type semiconductor. This sucks all the electrons from the n-type region and filled in all the holes in the p-type region, creating a large depleted zone.  
 
# Bias voltage is the voltage it takes to get the diode to start conducting. Below a certain voltage, the diode will no work even in the forward direction. It is the voltage which allows the electrons and holes to overcome the depleted zone and meet with each other, creating current. Reverse Biased means that the positive end of the battery is connected with the n-type semiconductor and the negative end is connected with the p-type semiconductor. This sucks all the electrons from the n-type region and filled in all the holes in the p-type region, creating a large depleted zone.  
 
# Diode breakdown happens when a reverse biased diode is subjected to so much voltage that it conducts in the reverse direction. When a diode is biased past the bias voltage, it stays in a metaphysical state, so by itself, it would stay an insulator, but anything at all (such as a temperature fluctuation) would cause the diode to draw so much current that would cause excessive heat that will destroy a diode.
 
# Diode breakdown happens when a reverse biased diode is subjected to so much voltage that it conducts in the reverse direction. When a diode is biased past the bias voltage, it stays in a metaphysical state, so by itself, it would stay an insulator, but anything at all (such as a temperature fluctuation) would cause the diode to draw so much current that would cause excessive heat that will destroy a diode.
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