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Home Electronic Applications in Communication Diodes and Rectifiers Selenium Rectifiers
 
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Selenium Rectifiers

Selenium rectifiers4,5 consist of a processed metal disk, often of steel, which is called the back electrode. On one side of this electrode a very thin layer of selenium is placed, and this layer is covered with a suitable conducting alloy, forming the front electrode. A rectifying layer is formed between the front electrode and the selenium. Current readily flows from the back electrode to the front electrode, but little flows in the reverse direction. The characteristics of this device are shown in Fig. 4.

characteristics of a selenium rectifier
Figure 4. Approximate characteristics of a selenium rectifier plate one square centimeter in area. Signs refer to voltage of the metal back electrode. (Courtesy Electrical Communication.)


Home Electronic Applications in Communication Diodes and Rectifiers Selenium Rectifiers

Last Update: 2011-05-30