Extra exam question E6B07
Subelement E6, CIRCUIT COMPONENTS· Group E6B
What causes a junction diode to fail from excessive current?
- A.Excessive inverse voltage
- B.Excessive junction temperature (correct answer)
- C.Insufficient forward voltage
- D.Charge carrier depletion
WhyA junction diode fails from excessive current because that current drives excessive junction temperature. A junction diode fails from excessive current because that current dissipates power in the junction, raising its temperature, and once the junction temperature climbs too high, the semiconductor material itself is permanently damaged, answer B. It isn't caused by excessive inverse voltage, that's a separate failure mode (reverse breakdown), and insufficient forward voltage or ordinary charge carrier depletion wouldn't cause a current-related failure in the first place.
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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