Commutation and destructive oscillation in diode circuits

Since the introduction of single crystal rectifier cells, the switching action from the forward- to the reverse-biased condition, in other words commutation, frequently has been analyzed. In the early stages of germanium and silicon rectifiers, destruction of cells was often caused by this commutation action. After the application of parallel capacitors or filtering circuits, the troubles were eliminated, and correctly designed filtering capacitors provided a simple, cheap, and effective way to assure trouble-free operation.