If a diode is reverse biased, what happens to current flow?

If a diode is reverse biased, what happens to current flow?

• A. Current flows with no restriction
• B. Stops current flow
• C. Current increases with voltage
• D. The diode becomes a source of power

Answer: (C)

When a diode is reverse biased, the depletion region widens and creates a high barrier that blocks most carrier flow. As a result, the current is extremely small and remains essentially constant as you increase the reverse voltage—until you reach breakdown, where current then rises dramatically. So, in normal reverse bias, the diode behaves like an open circuit with a tiny leakage current, not like a device whose current increases with voltage or one that supplies power.

When a diode is reverse biased, the depletion region widens and creates a high barrier that blocks most carrier flow. As a result, the current is extremely small and remains essentially constant as you increase the reverse voltage—until you reach breakdown, where current then rises dramatically. So, in normal reverse bias, the diode behaves like an open circuit with a tiny leakage current, not like a device whose current increases with voltage or one that supplies power.