Comparison of characteristics of rectifier diodes

Rectifiers are divided into four types: general-purpose rectifiers, general-purpose switches, Schottky barrier diodes, and fast recovery diodes. The following introduces diodes used for high voltage and high current, but they can be classified according to their characteristics, features, and manufacturing processes. At this point, for the basic application conditions of diodes, their characteristics and performance have been optimized.
The universal type is generally used for rectification, with the main purpose of converting AC into DC. Bridge diode is a combination of diodes used for rectification. In addition, protection is used to prevent overcurrent from flowing when the power or battery is accidentally reversed. The forward voltage VF varies depending on the operating current, with a standard of around 1V. This is the ordinary VF of a silicon PN junction diode. The reverse recovery time trr is based on the rectification of commercial power supplies at 50Hz/60Hz, and is not particularly fast as the standard. Switch type, as its literal meaning suggests, is mainly used for switching power sources. The VF standard is the same as the universal type. Because it is designed for switch purposes, TRR is faster than the universal type. However, it has not yet reached the speed of Schottky barrier diodes or fast recovery diodes, and its switching characteristics are only set to be faster than the general type. Schottky barrier diode (SBD) is not a PN junction, but a Schottky barrier formed by the use of metals and semiconductors such as N-type silicon. Compared with PN junction diodes, Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have the characteristics of lower VF and faster switching characteristics. However, its reverse leakage current IR is relatively large, which can lead to thermal runaway under certain conditions. Please be aware of this. Even if a large current such as 10A flows through, the VF value is approximately 0.8V; If a current of several A flows through, the VF value is approximately 0.5V. Therefore, its typical use is for the secondary side of DC/DC converters or AC/DC converters that pursue high efficiency. Fast Recovery Diode (FRD), although a PN junction diode, is a high-speed diode that greatly improves TRR. At this time, the withstand voltage (reverse current VR) of SBD is below 200V, but FRD can reach a high withstand voltage of 800V. However, generally speaking, its VF is higher than that of the universal type. If it is a high voltage withstand and high current specification, the standard value is about 2V. However, in recent years, there have also been an increase in models with reduced VF values. Due to its high voltage resistance and high speed, it is commonly used in AC/DC converters or inverter circuits.