| definition |
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A PIN diode is a semiconductor device that operates as a
variable resistor at RF and microwave frequencies. The resistance
value of the PIN diode is determined only by the forward biased dc
current. In switch and attenuator applications, the PIN diode
should ideally control the RF signal level without introducing
distortion, which might change the shape of the RF signal. An
important additional feature of the PIN diode is its ability to
control large RF signals while using much smaller levels of dc
excitation.
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