This paper describes the fundamental characteristics of dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) generated using high-voltage silicon diode for alternating current (SIDAC). Use of the high-voltage SIDACs with a conventional ac power supply could offer the stepped change in the output high-voltage due to high-speed switching of the SIDACs. Such the stepped high-voltage operation can easily establish DBDs with low cost instead of rf power sources and the pulse voltage power sources usually used for DBDs. The DBDs sustained by the SIDAC with the ac power supply were fundamentally studied in terms of the voltage-current characteristics of generated DBDs. Finally, three types of discharge mode were found to be categorized in the DBDs operation.