Advantages and structural applications of Schottky diodes

Advantages and structural applications of Schottky diodes

What are the advantages and structural applications of Schottky diodes in electronic circuits?

1、Advantages of Schottky diodes

The extremely fast switching speed and very low reverse recovery time of the Schottky diode MBR series make them very suitable for high-frequency applications and can minimize switching losses to the greatest extent possible. Schottky diodes are different from ordinary PN junction diodes. It is formed by combining N-type semiconductor materials with metals to form a metal semiconductor junction. Schottky diodes have advantages such as reduced forward voltage and shorter reverse charge recovery time (within 10ns) compared to ordinary diodes.

2、Schottky diode structure

Schottky diodes have significant differences in structural principles from PN junction diodes. Their interior is composed of anode metal (made of materials such as gold, silver, aluminum, molybdenum, platinum, etc. to form a barrier layer), silicon dioxide to eliminate the electric field in the edge region (to improve the voltage resistance of the diode), N-epitaxial layer, N-type silicon substrate, N+cathode layer, and cathode metal.

3、Application of Schottky diodes

The typical applications of Schottky barrier rectifiers include uninterruptible power supplies, high-frequency switch mode power supplies, DC-DC converters, as well as being used as freewheeling diodes and polarity protection diodes. In addition, Schottky diodes are widely used in power adapters for laptops, LCD TVs and displays, electric vehicle battery chargers, as well as power supplies for digital satellite receivers and set-top boxes.