Editing PIN diode (section)

{{Short description|Optical diode invented by Jun-Ichi Nishizawa}}
{{Inline citations|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox electronic component
| name = PIN diode
| image = Pin-Diode.svg
| invented = [[Jun-Ichi Nishizawa]]
| invention_Year = 1950
| type = [[Semiconductor]]
| symbol = [[File:Diode-EN.svg]]
| symbol_caption = The diode may be denoted by "PIN" letters on the diagram
| caption = Layers of a PIN diode
}}
A '''PIN diode''' is a [[diode]] with a wide, undoped [[intrinsic semiconductor]] region between a [[p-type semiconductor]] and an [[n-type semiconductor]] region. The p-type and n-type regions are typically heavily [[doping (semiconductor)|doped]] because they are used for [[ohmic contact]]s.

The wide [[Intrinsic semiconductor|intrinsic region]] is in contrast to an ordinary [[p–n diode]]. The wide intrinsic region makes the PIN diode an inferior [[rectifier]] (one typical function of a diode), but it makes it suitable for attenuators, fast switches, photodetectors, and high-voltage power electronics applications.

The PIN photodiode was invented by [[Jun-Ichi Nishizawa]] and his colleagues in 1950. It is a semiconductor device.