Originally posted by Alan0354
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Admittedly, this is not common, and the physics are slightly different from capacitors. However, it can happen. Ask me how I know that.... Resistors are so very cheap that conservative engineering would spread the loading out over all the devices so there is no weak spot.
VERY conservative engineering would also put swamping capacitors across each diode so that the dynamic voltage distribution is forced to be equal with voltages moving around quickly. That way a diode with high capacitance would not let it's better brothers be damaged.
Note that this may not happen instantaneously. Zenering only happens in the voltages below about 8V as I remember dimly. Above that, it's avalance breakdown. Avalanche breakdown can cause hot spotting, where small areas of junctions get hotter, conduct better, and carry even more current and get hotter, especially in silicon bipolar junctions. Over time, you can get "aging" from the accumulation of crystal defects caused by the breakovers. So it can be a slower-than-instantaneous death.
And resistors are very cheap.
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