PIN Diode – Features & Applications

PIN diode is characterized by fast low capacitance switching. A PIN diode is fabricated in a similar fashion to a silicon switching diode with an intrinsic region added between the PN junction layers. This generates a thicker depletion region, the insulating layer at the junction of a reverse biased diode. This results in lower capacitance than a reverse biased switching diode.

Applications of PIN Diodes

PIN diodes are used in a number of electronic systems, for example:

• PIN diodes are utilized in place of switching diodes in radio frequency (RF) applications.
• PIN diodes can serve as variable resistors when the forward bias is varied e.g. in a voltage variable attenuator. The low capacitance feature of PIN diodes extends the frequency flat response of the attenuator to microwave frequencies.
• PIN Diode is also used as antenna switch for direction finder receiver.

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