The 1N400x (or 1N4001 or 1N4000) series is a family of popular one-

ampere The ampere (, ; symbol: A), often shortened to amp,SI supports only the use of symbols and deprecates the use of abbreviations for units. is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). One ampere is equal to elect ...

general-purpose

silicon Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic tab ...

rectifier A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction. The reverse operation (converting DC to AC) is performed by an Power ...

diode A diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts current primarily in one direction (asymmetric conductance); it has low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other. A diode ...

s commonly used in

AC adapters An AC adapter or AC/DC adapter is a type of external power supply, often enclosed in a case similar to an AC plug. Other common names include wall wart, power brick, wall charger, and power adapter. Adapters for battery-powered equipment may ...

for common household appliances. Its blocking voltage varies from 50 volts (1N4001) to 1000 volts (1N4007). This

JEDEC The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association is an independent semiconductor engineering trade organization and standardization body headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, United States. JEDEC has over 300 members, including some of the w ...

device number series is available in the

DO-41 DO-204 is a family of diode semiconductor packages defined by JEDEC. This family comprises lead-mounted axial devices with round leads. Generally a diode will have a line painted near the cathode end. Dimensions Common variants Several ...

axial package. Diodes with similar ratings are available in SMA and

MELF Metal electrode leadless face (MELF) is a type of leadless cylindrical electronic surface mount device that is vacuum deposition, metallized at its ends. MELF devices are usually diodes and resistors. The EN 140401-803 and JEDEC DO-213 standa ...

surface mount packages (in other part number series). The 1N540x (or 1N5400) series is a similarly popular family of diodes rated 3 Amperes. These diodes use the larger DO-201AD axial package to dissipate heat better.

History

The 1N400x series was originally introduced by

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...

's Semiconductor Products Division and registered at

in 1963 as silicon power rectifiers used primarily for military and industrial applications. It appeared in the Motorola ''Semiconductor Data Manual'' in 1965, as replacements for 1N2609 through 1N2617. The 1N540x series were announced in ''Electrical Design News'' in 1968, along with the now lesser-known 1.5 A 1N5391 series.

Overview

These devices are widely used and recommended for general-purpose power-frequency rectifier use. They are commonly used as

rectifiers A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction. The reverse operation (converting DC to AC) is performed by an inver ...

of electrical appliances to convert AC to DC, and are also used in other types of power converters, or as

freewheeling diode A flyback diode is any diode connected across an inductor used to eliminate flyback, which is the sudden voltage spike seen across an inductive load when its supply current is suddenly reduced or interrupted. It is used in circuits in which in ...

s to protect circuits from inductive loads. These are fairly low-speed rectifier diodes, being inefficient for square waves of more than 15 kHz. They are not designed for switching applications; datasheets often don't specify any information on their turn-on and turn-off characteristics. Compared with signal diodes, rectifier diodes generally have higher current ratings, can have much higher reverse voltage ratings, but have higher

leakage current In electronics, leakage is the gradual transfer of electrical energy across a boundary normally viewed as insulating, such as the spontaneous discharge of a charged capacitor, magnetic coupling of a transformer with other components, or flow of cu ...

and greater junction capacitance.Paul Horowitz, Winifred Hill, ''The Art of Electronics Second Edition'', Cambridge University Press, 1989 , page 330 The following table lists part numbers in the 1N400x, 1N540x, and other popular general-purpose silicon rectifier diode families.

References

External links

{{Commons category multi, 1N400x, Diodes, Diodes (SMD)

- Clifton Laboratories

- Clifton Laboratories Diodes

History

Overview

See also

References

Further reading

External links