STMicroelectronics has introduced 100V trench Schottky rectifier diodes that boost efficiency in power converters operated at high-switching frequencies.
Raising power-converter operating frequency, encouraged by the minimal switching losses of technologies like wide-bandgap semiconductors, allows designers to set new benchmarks in power density.
However, at elevated frequencies, the energy losses in conventional planar diodes, including silicon Schottky devices, used as rectifiers become a significant factor limiting conversion efficiency.
ST’s trench Schottky diodes significantly reduce the rectifier losses, with superior forward-voltage and reverse-recovery characteristics that enable increased power density with high efficiency. The forward voltage is 50 to 100mV better than in comparable planar diodes, depending on current and temperature conditions. Simply changing to these devices can increase the efficiency by 0.5%.
There are 28 variants in the new family, with eight current ratings from 1 to 15A, and multiple surface-mount packages, in industrial and automotive grades. The industrial-grade parts target applications such as miniature switched-mode power supplies and auxiliary power supplies for telecom, server, and smart-metering equipment. In automotive, typical uses include space-constrained applications such as LED lighting, reverse-polarity protection, and low-voltage dc/dc converters.
The parts are AEC-Q101 qualified, manufactured in PPAP-capable facilities, and specified from -40° to 175° C.
When combined with ST’s flyback and buck-boost converters, such as the VIPer controllers and HVLED001A offline LED driver, the 100V trench Schottky rectifiers fulfill the active components bill of materials for switched-mode power supplies. All are supported in ST’s eDesign Suite Rectifier Diodes Simulator, which helps to select the rating and footprint, simulate waveforms, and estimate power efficiency.
Filed Under: EE World - EV ENGINEERING, Technology News