What is a germanium diode?

The germanium diode is a Semiconductor device build with element germanium, the Semiconductor is considered as the building block of electronics because all the active components are been made with semiconductor material.

Silicon and germanium are the materials used in electronic components, but now a day’s silicon is considered as the good Semiconductor used to make the electronic building blocks.

Due to this popularity of silicon material, the germanium diode has fewer applications and information’s about germanium diode. In this article, we try to gather almost all data of germanium diode.

Germanium diode symbol

A typical germanium diode has the same symbolic representation as to the conventional diode.

Germanium diode polarity

The polarity of the germanium diode is +VE anode and –VE cathode, this may be indicated in the device as the black line at the diode is the cathode –VE, and long free space is indicated as +VE.

Germanium diode characteristics

The VI characteristics of germanium diode show that when supply voltage increases in forwarding biased condition, at 0.3v are consider as the cut-off voltage.

And after that particular voltage limit, the current at the germanium increases rapidly.

On the reverse condition itself, the cut-in voltage had a mark.

• Threshold voltage = 0.3v
• Temperature stability = 85˚C
• Leakage current rated in mA
• PIV is less in germanium diode
• Germanium diode works under 100˚C
• Germanium diode used at the light sensor
• Germanium diode had low forward broken overvoltage
• The germanium diode has a reverse bias saturation current of 1000nA
• Germanium diode has losses of 0.3v to 0.4v.
• Germanium expensive

Germanium diode voltage drop

The less voltage drop value is the specialty of germanium diode, at the electrical characteristics we can see approximately 0.3v or 0.2v voltage drop value.

This is a lesser value compare with silicon diodes.

Germanium diode resistance

The resistance of the diode may be calculated in two ways that are in statically and dynamically,

Static resistance of germanium diode is at room temperature is 4.5Ω at a point and dynamic resistance value of 2.25Ω.

Germanium diode value

The value of the germanium diode will be indicated with its voltage drop, the voltage drop value starts from 0.25v to 0.3v.

1n34A germanium diode

The 1n34a is a point contact germanium diode used on TV image detection systems, FM detection radio, and AM detection systems.

The 1n34a peak reverse voltage is 65v and the reverse voltage of 20v.

And peak forward current of 0.5A, average rectified output current of 50mA.

The maximum temperature of 1n34a germanium diode is 90˚C.

1n60 germanium diode

A 1n60 is a germanium diode, have applications on TV image detection circuit, FM detection circuit, and AM detection.

The 1n60 diodes peak reverse voltage of 45v, reverse voltage of 20v.

Peak forward current of 150Ma, the average rectified output current of 50Ma, surge forward current 500Ma, and forward current of 4Ma.

The maximum temperature at 1n60 diode is 75˚C and storage temperature range of -55 to +175˚C.

The rectification efficiency of 1n60 germanium diode is 55%.

Germanium diode SMD

The SMD versions for the germanium diode are not found, because they are old diode types.

Germanium diode applications

• TV image detector
• FM detector
• Radio AM detector
• Solar cell