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GlobalSpec.com > Semiconductors > Discrete > Diodes > RF Diodes > Comparison of Bulk and Epitaxial PIN Diodes in Low-Cost Wideband RF Switching - White Paper

Both electromechanical and semiconductor switches are proven technologies used in the control and routing of RF signals. While the use of mechanical switches can be justified in precision test equipment such as vector network analyzers, size- and cost constrained mass-produced consumer products such as cable or satellite television (CATV/SATV) delivery systems call for electronic switches based on either transistors or PIN diodes. The absence of moving parts also gives semiconductor switches the advantages both of faster response times and longer life spans than their mechanical counterparts. PIN diodes are particularly useful as the switching element in SPST (single-pole single-throw) and SPNT (single-pole multiple-throw) configurations. The PIN diode behaves like a current controlled resistor to all signals higher in frequency than ten times the cutoff frequency ( fc ) of the diode, given by:

Comparison of Bulk and Epitaxial PIN Diodes in Low-Cost Wideband RF Switching - White Paper (.pdf) - Light Sources