DIAC

The diac is basically a

two-terminal parallelinverse combination of
semiconductor
layers that permits
triggering in either
direction.

Diac characteristic

Symbols and basic construction

Where: VBR1 = breakover voltage of

diode 1
VBR2 = breakover voltage of
diode 2
Current level:

200 A = 0.2 mA

Application of DIAC

Proximity detector or touch switch

TRIAC

 Conduct

current in either
direction when it is
triggered.
formally called a
bidirectional triode
thyristor or bilateral
triode thyristor.

symbol

Basic
construction

characteristic

TRIAC

SCR

Bidirectional

Unidirectional

Current

Can

flow can
be enabled by
either a positive
or negative
current applied to
its gate electrode

be triggered
only by current
going into the
gate.

Triggering in quadrant I

Triggering in quadrant II

Triggering in quadrant III

Triggering in quadrant IV

Seatwork:
By pair

Think of an application of a
diac and triac and explain the
network behavior.