The reverse current through a semi-conductor diode circuit is due to:

Explanation

The reverse current in a semiconductor diode occurs when the diode is under reverse bias, meaning the voltage across the diode is applied in the opposite direction to its normal operation.In reverse bias:The positive terminal of the voltage source is connected to the N-type semiconductor, and the negative terminal is connected to the P-type semiconductor.This applied reverse voltage widens the depletion region, creating a higher potential barrier.Despite the increased barrier, a small amount of current, known as the reverse saturation current, flows due to minority carriers (minority charge carriers present due to thermal generation or other processes) crossing the junction. This current is typically very small in magnitude.The reverse current is substantially smaller than the forward current in a diode and is usually in the microampere or nanoampere range for typical diodes under reverse bias. This current is due to the minority carriers' movement across the widened depletion region despite the reverse bias condition.