Why resistance use in silicon diode characteristics?
Resistance is used in characterizing silicon diodes, or any
component for that matter, because the equivalent resistance in a
certain condition tells you what the circuit will do in that
condition.
It is true that a diode is not a resistor, but it has an
equivalent resistance at each point on it operating curve. Let take
three points, for example...
With one ampere of current, the forward voltage might be 0.68
volts. That corresponds, using Ohm's law, to a resistance of 0.68
ohms. With ten amperes of current, the forward voltage might be
1.15 volts. That corresponds to a resistance of 0.115 ohms. With 25
amperes of current, the forward voltage might be 1.7 voltage. That
corresponds to a resistance of 0.068 ohms.
You can obtain the forward resistance curve from the
manufacturer's data sheet. Even if there is only a voltage versus
current curve, you can calculate resistance using Ohm's law.
You need to know the resistance curve in order to design the
circuit that uses the diode. In high performance situations, such
as in large power supplies, the resistance of the diode may well be
critical, and would therefore be a factor in selecting which diode
amongst several choices to choose.