What is a Schottky Diode?
A Schottky diode, also known as a hot carrier diode, is a semiconductor diode which has a low forward voltage drop and a very fast switching action. There is a small voltage drop across the diode terminals when current flows through a diode. A normal diode will have a voltage drop between 0.6 to 1.7 volts, while a Schottky diode voltage drop is usually between 0.15 and 0.45 volts. This lower voltage drop provides better system efficiency and higher switching speed. In a Schottky diode, a semiconductor–metal junction is formed between a semiconductor and a metal, thus creating a Schottky barrier. The N-type semiconductor acts as the cathode and the metal side acts as the anode of the diode. This Schottky barrier results in both a low forward voltage drop and very fast switching.
Applications for Schottky Diodes:
Schottky diodes are useful in voltage clamping applications and prevention of transistor saturation due to the higher current density in the Schottky diode. Also, because of the low forward voltage drop in a Schottky diode, less energy is wasted as heat, therefore making them an efficient choice for applications that are sensitive to efficiency. Because of this, they are used in stand-alone photovoltaic systems in order to prevent batteries from discharging through the solar panels at night as well as in grid-connected systems containing multiple strings connected in parallel. Schottky diodes are also used as rectifiers in switched-mode power supplies.
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