STMicroelectronics reveals new family of 100V trench Schottky rectifier diodes

The move to higher operating frequencies in power converters, spurred by the reduced switching losses offered by wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies, enables the achievement of high power density levels. Nonetheless, at these higher frequencies, the energy losses in traditional planar diodes, including silicon Schottky rectifiers, emerge as a critical bottleneck in optimising conversion efficiency.

The trench Schottky diodes from STMicroelectronics offer a notable reduction in rectifier losses through their excellent forward-voltage and reverse-recovery properties, facilitating a leap in power density and efficiency. The forward voltage improvement ranges from 50-100mV over similar planar diodes, contingent on the operating current and temperature. A simple switch to these diodes can boost efficiency by up to 0.5%.

This newly introduced diode family encompasses 28 variants, spanning eight current ratings from 1A to 15A and includes several surface-mount package options, available in both industrial and automotive grades. The industrial-grade diodes are aimed at compact switched-mode power supplies and auxiliary power units for telecom, server, and smart-metering systems. In the automotive sector, they find applications in areas requiring compact solutions, such as LED lighting, reverse-polarity protection, and low-voltage DC/DC conversion. These components are AEC-Q101 certified, produced in facilities capable of Product Part Approval Process (PPAP), and operate within a temperature range of -40 to 175°C.

When used in conjunction with ST’s VIPer controllers and HVLED001A offline LED drivers, among other flyback and buck-boost converters, these 100V trench Schottky rectifiers complete the active component requirements for switched-mode power supplies. ST supports these components with its eDesign Suite Rectifier Diodes Simulator, aiding in the selection of appropriate ratings and footprints, waveform simulation, and efficiency calculation.

These diodes undergo 100% avalanche testing during production to guarantee robustness and system dependability. They are packaged in various surface-mount formats including DPAK, SOD123 Flat, SOD128 Flat, SMB Flat, and PSMC (TO227A).

Currently in production, the diodes are offered with budgetary pricing starting at $0.107 for the 1A STPST1H100ZF in an SMD123 Flat package.