Cree develops new silicon carbide Schottky diode to improve energy efficiency of solar micro inverters

Cree, a market leader in silicon carbide power devices, continues its push into mainstream power applications. Compared to silicon power devices, Cree's advanced silicon carbide technology reduces system costs, improves reliability, and sets new standards for energy efficiency. Cree's latest 1200V Z-Rec™ silicon carbide Schottky diode products are available in industry-standard TO-252D-Pak surface mount packages, with surface mount devices rated at 2A, 5A, 8A and 10A. Cree is the first manufacturer in the world to offer commercial 1200V silicon carbide Schottky diodes in a full range of rated currents in a D-Pak surface mount package. System designers such as solar micro-PV inverters now have more options to develop smaller, lighter and lower-cost power conversion circuits. The new surface mount devices have the same performance as Cree's TO-220 Schottky diodes in a smaller PCB size and area.

"These new silicon carbide Schottky diode surface mount devices can achieve advantages including zero reverse recovery loss, temperature-independent switching, operation at higher frequencies and support for low electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals, as well as higher surge ratings and electronic avalanche performance in a smaller size and lower board load," said Cengiz Balkas, vice president and general manager of Cree's power and RF product development division. "The new 2A rated current device fully utilizes the advantages of silicon carbide material itself and is very suitable for lower power applications, providing the best performance and cost options. In addition, 8A and 10A devices with the same size and cost savings are suitable for higher power applications."

Balkas further pointed out: "The use of SiC power devices in high-efficiency power electronic systems can provide significant design advantages such as achieving higher current and voltage ratings with fewer components. By reducing the number of components, designers can reduce overall system costs while improving overall system reliability and achieving maximum efficiency. When used in conjunction with Cree's latest series of 1200V SiC MOSFETs in a full SiC design, these Schottky diodes enable high-power electronic systems with switching frequencies that are 5 to 8 times higher than traditional silicon-based solutions. Smaller magnetic and capacitive components can be used at higher switching frequencies, thereby reducing system size, weight and cost."

Cree's C4D02120E series Schottky diodes have a rated current/voltage of 2A/1200V; C4D05120E series Schottky diodes have a rated current/voltage of 5A/1200V; C4D08120E series Schottky diodes have a rated current/voltage of 8A/1200V; and C4D10120E series Schottky diodes have a rated current of 10A/1200V. All C4DXX120E devices have an operating junction temperature of -55°C to 175°C.

Cree's C4DXX120E surface mount Schottky diode has been released and is fully qualified for production use. Please contact Cree for device availability.