Rectifying Semiconductor Diode

a two-electrode device with a chiefly unidirectional (unipolar) electrical conductivity. The rectifying effect occurs at a metal-semiconductor junction or at a p = n junction in a crystal (germanium, silicon, copper oxide, selenium, and others), which are the basis of the device. Rectifying semiconductor diodes are used in electrical and radio engineering equipment to convert alternating current (voltage) into a pulsating current of one polarity (direct current), that is, to rectify the current, as well as to open and close electrical circuits, to detect and commutate electrical signals, and to perform other conversions.