Now we come to the most popular application of the diode:
rectification. Simply defined, rectification is the conversion of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). This involves a device that only allows one-way flow of electrons. As we have seen, this is exactly what a semiconductor diode does. The simplest kind of
rectifier circuit is the
half-wave rectifier. It only allows one half of an AC waveform to pass through to the load.
