ROHM has introduced a family of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes in a new surface-mount package design which increases creepage distance for more robust insulation.
The family consists of eight SCS2xxxNHR diodes for automotive applications such as onboard chargers, and eight SCS2xxxN diodes for industrial equipment such as factory automation equipment or solar energy inverters.
The launch of the new Schottky diodes comes in response to growing demand for more efficient power semiconductors for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The SCS2xxxNHR SiC diodes support this trend, featuring low heat generation while enabling high-speed switching and a high breakdown voltage.
In high-voltage systems, however, the use of surface-mount devices for manufacturing efficiency can compromise insulation because of the shorter creepage distances, making it more difficult for power-system designers to prevent high-voltage tracking. Now ROHM has created a new package design which provides a minimum creepage distance of 5.1 mm, around 1.3x longer than that of standard Schottky diodes from competitors.
This reduces the risk of tracking, or creepage discharge, between terminals, and eliminates the need for resin potting when mounting the SiC Schottky barrier diode on a PCB in high-voltage applications. In addition, the SCS2xxxNHR and SCS2xxxN can be mounted on the same land pattern as standard diodes in a TO-263 package, for drop-in replacement in existing designs.
The new ROHM Schottky diodes are supplied with a voltage rating of either 650 V or 1,200 V, making them ideal for the 400 V power bus commonly used in electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
