This section provides an overview for varactor diodes as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 5 varactor diode manufacturers and their company rankings.
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A varactor diode is a diode whose capacitance can be varied by applying a reverse voltage. It is also called a variable capacitance diode or varicap. When a reverse voltage is applied to the PN junction of the diode, the vacancy layer, which is the part without carriers, such as electrons and holes, behaves like a capacitor, and the capacitance that behaves as a capacitor changes depending on the magnitude of the applied voltage.
Varactor diodes are used in electronic components, such as electronic tuning circuits and voltage-controlled oscillators. Electronic tuning circuits and voltage-controlled oscillators are used in devices that receive radio waves, such as radios, televisions, communications equipment, and mobile communications devices, such as smartphones. Because those devices receive signals at specific frequencies, it is necessary to adjust the capacitance of the capacitor in the receiving part and the impedance value of the coil, and varactor diodes are used because their capacitance can be controlled by a voltage.
The principle of varactor diodes are described here: it consists of a diode with a PN junction. Under normal circumstances, the diode allows current to flow when current passes through it in the forward direction, and it does not allow current to flow when current passes through it in the reverse direction. However, when voltage is applied in the reverse direction, holes move from the P-type semiconductor to the electrode in the PN junction and electrons move to the electrode in the N-type semiconductor, forming a layer called the vacancy-poor layer with no carriers in the PN junction. Since there is no charge in the vacancy-poor layer and charge is generated on both sides of the vacancy-poor layer, the diode behaves like a capacitor. The size of this vacancy-poor layer increases with the magnitude of the voltage applied by the electrode. Therefore, the larger the applied voltage and the larger the vacancy layer, will have the result of a larger capacitance. Based on this principle, the diode changes its capacitance by applying a reverse voltage.
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