Extra exam question E6B05
Subelement E6, CIRCUIT COMPONENTS· Group E6B
What characteristic of a PIN diode makes it useful as an RF switch?
- A.Extremely high reverse breakdown voltage
- B.Ability to dissipate large amounts of power
- C.Reverse bias controls its forward voltage drop
- D.Low junction capacitance (correct answer)
WhyA PIN diode's low junction capacitance is what makes it useful as an RF switch. A PIN diode's low junction capacitance, especially in its reverse-biased (off) state, lets it switch RF signals cleanly with minimal signal leakage or distortion, the characteristic that makes it useful as an RF switch, answer D. Extremely high reverse breakdown voltage and high power dissipation aren't the defining trait here, and it's forward, not reverse, bias current that actually controls a PIN diode's RF resistance, not the reverse bias.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2024-2028 NCVEC Element 4 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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