Zener diode, also known as germanium diode, is a commonly used type of diode. It was invented by German physicist Zener in the early 20th century, hence its name. Zener diode is a semiconductor device made of germanium material, with two electrodes, namely positive electrode (anode) and negative electrode (cathode). Essentially, a Zener diode is a PN junction diode that has the characteristics of forward conduction and reverse cutoff.
A photodiode is a semiconductor device that can convert optical signals into electrical signals. It converts incident light energy into electrical energy through the photoelectric conversion effect, thereby generating current. Photodiodes are widely used in fields such as photodetection, communication, and optoelectronic measurement. The following will provide a detailed introduction to the working principle and main characteristics of photodiodes.
