Conductivity of semiconductor diodes with simultaneously applied direct and alternating biases

The influence of a high-amplitude high-frequency signal on the static current-voltage characteristics of commercial semiconductor $p$–$n$ junction diodes is studied experimentally. $S$-shaped regions are observed in the direct branches of the current-voltage characteristics over a wide frequency range, and a bell-shaped segment is seen in the reverse branches. The value and position of the latter on the voltage axis considerably depend on the alternating signal frequency.