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Avalanche breakdown (or the avalanche effect) is a phenomenon that can occur in both insulating and semiconducting materials. It is a form of electric current multiplication that can allow very large currents within materials which are otherwise good insulators. It is a type of electron avalanche.
In electronics, an avalanche diode is a diode (made from silicon or other semiconductor) that is designed to experience avalanche breakdown at a specified reverse bias voltage. The junction of an avalanche diode is designed to prevent current concentration and resulting hot spots, so that the diode is undamaged by the breakdown.
Zener breakdown is found to occur at electric field intensity of about 3 × 10 7 V/m. [1] Zener breakdown occurs in heavily doped junctions (p-type semiconductor moderately doped and n-type heavily doped), which produces a narrow depletion region. [2] The avalanche breakdown occurs in lightly doped junctions, which produce a wider depletion region.
Electron avalanches are essential to the dielectric breakdown process within gases. The process can culminate in corona discharges , streamers , leaders , or in a spark or continuous arc that completely bridges the gap between the electrical conductors that are applying the voltage.
When the reverse-bias breakdown voltage is exceeded, a conventional diode will conduct a high current due to avalanche breakdown. Unless this current is limited by external circuits, the diode may be permanently damaged due to overheating at the small (localized) areas of the semiconductor junction where avalanche breakdown conduction is occurring.
An avalanche swept up skiers at Lake Tahoe's largest ski resort on Jan. 10, 2024, as a 150-foot-wide sheet of snow slid down a mountain slope into a pile 10 feet deep.
The Lowman avalanche team — consisting of three people and will soon grow to four — begins tracking potential avalanche paths around October, Garz said.
Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger, famous for competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, tragically lost her life yesterday (December 23) in an avalanche at Arosa Lenzerheide, a ski area ...