What is a voltage regulator diode? Application instructions for voltage regulator diodes

Zener diode (also known as Zener diode or reverse breakdown diode) is a surface contact crystal diode made of silicon material. It works by utilizing the characteristic that the terminal voltage of PN junction does not change with the reverse current transformation within a certain range after reverse breakdown. The shell materials of voltage regulators mainly include glass, plastic, and metal. Generally, low-power voltage regulators are packaged in glass or plastic, while high-power voltage regulators are packaged in metal shells with good heat dissipation. Due to the fact that voltage regulators are generally made of silicon semiconductor materials, they are also known as silicon voltage regulators and silicon voltage regulators.

Due to its voltage stabilizing function, the technical parameters of a voltage regulator diode are roughly the same as those of a regular diode. It is widely used in voltage regulators, electronic igniters, DC level shifting, limiting circuits, overvoltage protection circuits, compensation circuits, and other applications.

1. Stable voltage
This refers to the reverse voltage value at both ends of a diode within its voltage stabilization range, usually referred to as the voltage stabilization value. The stable voltage value of a voltage regulator diode varies with its operating current and temperature, but this variation is not significant. Different models of voltage regulators generally have different stable voltages, and even for the same model of product, the voltage regulation value cannot be exactly the same. When using, it should be selected according to the needs.

2. Working current
When the device is working, the reverse base current passing through it will cause the working current of the voltage regulator diode to be too small, resulting in poor voltage regulation effect. However, if the current is too large, it will also cause damage to the tube body due to high temperature. Generally, within the allowable working current range, a higher current results in a relatively better voltage stabilization effect, but the voltage regulator diode requires a small amount of additional electrical energy. The difference between a voltage regulator diode and a regular diode is that its operating current flows from the negative pole to the positive pole, while a regular diode flows from the positive pole to the negative pole.

3. Maximum operating current：The reverse current value that a voltage regulator diode can allow to pass through.

4. Dissipative power
When reverse current passes through a voltage regulator diode, the allowable power consumption of the transistor itself is called the rated power. In practical use, it is not allowed for the power consumption of the voltage regulator diode to exceed this limit value.

5. Dynamic resistance
When the voltage regulator diode is working, we hope that the stable voltage change will be as small as possible when the current change range is large. In order to accurately reflect this performance, it is stipulated that the ratio of voltage change to current change is called the driving resistance of the voltage regulator diode. It can be seen that the smaller the dynamic resistance of the voltage regulator diode, the better the performance of the voltage regulator diode. From this, it can be concluded that when the same voltage regulator diode operates, the dynamic resistance changes. When the current is high, the dynamic resistance decreases, while when the operating current is low, the dynamic resistance actually increases.

Simply put, it is a semiconductor component that has high resistance until the critical reverse breakdown voltage. Zener diodes can be connected in series for use at higher voltages, and by connecting them in series, a higher stable voltage can be obtained.