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Including some 500 new terms defined and remaining terms updated and modified, a 2nd edition book version of this glossary is now available.


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Term (Index) Definition
diode  in general, a two-terminal element displaying asymmetric (rectifying) current-voltage characteristics; large current flows under the forward bias, very small current flows under the reverse bias; realized either as a vacuum diode or semiconductor diode; semiconductor diode requires built-in potential barrier heights of which depends on the applied voltage (bias); potential barrier at the p-n junction makes a p-n junction diode while potential barrier at the metal-semiconductor junction makes a Schottky diode.
Schottky diode  semiconductor diode in which metal-semiconductor contact is used to form a potential barrier.
p-n junction  p-type and n-type semiconductors are brought to contact in order to create a potential barrier; height of the potential barrier is controlled by the voltage applied between p- and n-type regions; in homojunctions p- and n-type regions are formed in the same semiconductor typically by locally changing its doping from p to n, or vice versa; in heterojunctions p- and n-type regions are made out of different semicodnuctors.
Term (Index) Definition
Edge Emitting Light Emitting Diode, EELED  LED in which radiation comes out from the edge of p-n junction in the direction parallel to the junction plane.
Surface Emitting Laser, SEL  same as VCSEL; generated radiation is propagated in the direction normal to the surface; potentially superior to Edge Emitting Laser (EEL) providing strict requirements regarding device configuration are met; allows more efficient coupling to the optical fiber than EEL.
Term (Index) Definition
Gunn diode, TED  III-V semiconductor (e.g. GaAs)microwave device based on Gunn effect (J.B. Gunn, 1963); also known as Transferred-Electron Diode (TED).
TED(iode)  Transferred-Electron Diode; microwave device also known as Gunn diode.
Term (Index) Definition
IMPATT diode  Impact Ionization Avalanche Transit-Time; GaAs based high-performance microwave transit time diode.
Transit-Time Diodes  a group of microwave diodes broadly used in microwave applications.
Term (Index) Definition
LED, Light Emitting Diode  semiconductor device emitting light; two-terminal rectifying device made using direct bandgap semiconductor; energy generated during recombination processes in the space charge region of the junction (typically p-n) is released in the form of light; wavelength of emitted radiation depends on the width of the bandgap.
Term (Index) Definition
Schottky diode  semiconductor diode in which metal-semiconductor contact is used to form a potential barrier.
diode  in general, a two-terminal element displaying asymmetric (rectifying) current-voltage characteristics; large current flows under the forward bias, very small current flows under the reverse bias; realized either as a vacuum diode or semiconductor diode; semiconductor diode requires built-in potential barrier heights of which depends on the applied voltage (bias); potential barrier at the p-n junction makes a p-n junction diode while potential barrier at the metal-semiconductor junction makes a Schottky diode.
Schottky barrier  potential barrier at the rectifying metal-semiconductor contact.
Term (Index) Definition
semiconductor diode  two-terminal semiconductor device which displays strongly rectifying current-voltage characteristics (large current flows under forward voltage bias while almost no current flows under the reverse voltage bias); to obtain this type of behavior a potential barrier must be created within the device structure; typically implemented by p-n junction, or metal-semiconductor contact.
Term (Index) Definition
Surface Emitting Light Emitting Diode, SELED  radiation emerges in the direction perpendicular to the junction plane, and hence, to the surface; allows more efficient coupling to the optical fiber than edge emitting LED (EELED).
Edge Emitting Light Emitting Diode, EELED  LED in which radiation comes out from the edge of p-n junction in the direction parallel to the junction plane.
Term (Index) Definition
TRAPATT diode  Trapped Plasma Avalanche-Triggered Transit; diode operating in a microwave range.
Term (Index) Definition
Zener diode  semiconductor diode exploiting Zener tunneling resulting from impact ionization taking place in the p-n junction at the very high electric field.
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Jerzy Ruzyllo is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University.



This book gives a complete account of semiconductor engineering covering semiconductor properties, semiconductor materials, semiconductor devices and their uses, process technology, fabrication processes, and semiconductor materials and process characterization.


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Created and operated by J. Ruzyllo. Copyright © J. Ruzyllo 2001-2016. All rights reserved.

Information in this glossary is provided at the author's discretion. Any liability based on, or related to the contents of this glossary is disclaimed.