Varactor Diodes

Varactor diodes are semiconductor diodes designed to operate in reverse bias and are used in radio frequency (RF) tuning of capacitive voltage-controlled variable circuits. These devices store the charge and are ideal for various environments and microprocessors requiring voltage control. These diodes are designed in a way that displays better transition capacity than conventional diodes.

What are the alternate names for varactor diodes?

The varactor diode is also referred to as the Voltcap, Voltage Variable Capacitance, Varicap, or Tunning diode.

What are the advantages of varactor diodes?

They are beneficial in terms of what they offer:

• Less noise as compared to the other diode.
• Cost-effective
• Miniature size and lightweight
• Highly reliable

What are the types of varactor diodes?

They are classified into the following types. 

• Abrupt varactor diodes- the most widely used type of varactor where the doping concentration is held constant, triggering the junction abruptness. They are designed to be used in low resistance and high capacitance applications. 
• Hyperabrupt varactor diodes- designed to provide much higher capacitance variations for voltage changes. 

What are the typical applications of varactor diodes?

These Varicap diodes are the crucial components in a wide variety of different applications, including:

• DVD devices
• TV tuning
• Satellites
• Self-balanced bridge circuits
• Voltage-controlled oscillators
• RF tuning (radios)
• Parametric amplifiers
• Frequency synthesizers
• Variable capacitors.