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Crystal Rectifiers

The cross section of a typical crystal rectifier is shown in Fig. 1. Silicon and germanium crystals are widely used. A fine wire, often of tungsten, is pointed and pressed firmly against the crystal surfaces; sometimes the wire contact is welded to the crystal. Because the capacitance is very low, crystals can be used at ultra-high and superhigh frequencies. The characteristics of a typical crystal are shown in Fig. 2. For many purposes the ideal characteristics and ideal circuit equivalent for a crystal are those shown in Fig. 3. A typical crystal passes a current of about 400 microamperes.

crystal rectifier, cross section
Figure 1. Simplified cross section of a typical crystal rectifier. Sometimes the interior of a crystal rectifier is filled with wax to stabilize the contact.


Home Electronic Applications in Communication Diodes and Rectifiers Crystal Rectifiers

Last Update: 2011-05-03