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Why Diode breakdown allows heavy current with a constant potential, but conductors fail to do so?

Physics Asked on January 26, 2021

A conductor, metallic is considered to be containing a sea of mobile electrons. When a diode breakdown happen, we actually have a lot of electrons inside the depletion region that are inside their conduction band. Now if we have a constant potential, but we also have so many free charges, it is totally acceptable that all the charges will flow at once.

But in a conductor, where electrons are constantly exchanging energy to go into Conduction Band, and now if apply same potential, we get heat and resistance.

So what actually differs in two case?

When we can break the Ohmic law for Conductors?

One Answer

  • It would be worthwhile to look at the actual numbers: "lot of electrons" in the depletion region of a semiconductor is still orders of magnitude lower than the concentration of electrons in a typical metal.
  • Just like in a metal, the current flow during diode breakdown encounters resistance and results in generation of heat
  • "in a conductor [...] electrons are constantly exchanging energy to go into Conduction Band" - electrons need not be promoted into the conduction band of a conductor, they are already present there.
  • It is worthwhile to mediate for a minute on the fact that the diode in question is still connected to its power source by conducting wires.

Answered by Vadim on January 26, 2021

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