Windell H. Oskay from EMSL created a detailed discussion on using Zener Diodes. He has designed a circuit flow using Zener diodes to control the reverse breakdown while designing up a circuit which is impossible to do if he would had used a regular diode.
“Zener diodes are a special type of semiconductor diode– devices that allow current to flow in one direction only –that also allow current to flow in the opposite direction, but only when exposed to enough voltage. And while that sounds a bit esoteric, they’re actually among the handiest components ever to cross an engineer’s bench, providing great solutions to a number of common needs in circuit design. “
