Selection guides, application notes and design checks for rectifiers, Schottky diodes, TVS protection, MOSFETs, SiC and IGBTs — written for engineers and sourcing teams.
TO-220 mounting quality is the thermal design: the tab carries the heat, and the interface between tab and heatsink—pressure, interface material, insulation—decides how much of the datasheet RθJC you actually keep. This guide covers screw torque, thermal interface material, electrical insulation, airflow, and the installation defects that make a good part run hot. How Mounting … Read more
A rectifier package is the thermal and assembly contract: it sets how the heat leaves, how the part mounts, and how the production line handles it. This guide walks the spectrum from axial DO-41 to leadless PDFN, maps the power capability bands, and gives a selection checklist. The Package Spectrum: Axial, SMD, Power, Leadless The … Read more
Synchronous rectification replaces the output diode with a driven MOSFET, cutting the drop to an RDS(on) product—and paying a control cost in the driver, the dead time, and the failure modes. This guide covers the principle, the break-even table, the regions where each wins, and a worked 12 V example. What Synchronous Rectification Replaces A … Read more
The 100 V Schottky class buys more transient margin than the 60 V class, and it charges for it: higher forward drop at a given current and a different leakage picture at the operating point. This guide maps the transient exposure by load type, walks the decision for 12/24 V systems, and shows where each … Read more
The TO-220 carries up to about 40 A with mounting discipline, and the TO-247 takes over at higher currents with a larger die, more heat, and more mounting care. This guide compares the current, thermal, and mounting columns and the upgrade path. The 40 A Boundary and Package Limits The 40 A boundary is where … Read more
A common-cathode dual diode puts two die with a shared cathode in one package, buying matching, thermal sharing, and a single footprint—and it has a boundary where two discretes make more sense. This guide covers the structure, the benefits, the roles, and the edge cases. What a Dual-Diode Package Actually Contains A common-cathode (CT) dual … Read more
Every Schottky voltage class is a trade between forward drop and reverse leakage, and the shape of that trade is set by the junction structure and read from the datasheet curves, not from the class number alone. The selection method is to pick the lowest class that fits the reverse peak with margin—before comparing parts. … Read more
The TVS’s placement decides whether the datasheet’s clamp is the circuit’s clamp: close to the connector, short to ground, and a small loop are the rules, and the parasitic inductance is the enemy. This guide covers the rules, the overshoot, the PCB checklist, and the pulse verification. Why Placement Matters More Than the Part Number … Read more
Paralleling two rectifier diodes raises the current capability only if the branch currents actually split as intended, and the split is decided by the VF match at temperature, the layout symmetry, and the measurement. This guide covers the motivation, the sharing physics, the layout rules, the derating, and the verification that make a parallel pair … Read more
Ringing on a rectifier’s switching node is the layout’s parasitics talking, and the snubber is the damping answer: an RC snubber is the first tool, sized by hand from the measured waveform, and an RCD snubber takes over at higher power. This guide covers the source, the calculations, the component selection, and the bench verification. … Read more
SMB (DO-214AA) and SOD-123 packages carry TVS and small rectifier functions, and their small mass makes them more sensitive to the reflow process than the power packages beside them. This guide covers the process sensitivity, the pads, the tombstone defect, and the inspection that keep a small package reliable on a production board. Small Packages, … Read more
Lead-free soldering raises the reflow temperature and puts the moisture-sensitivity discipline on a tighter clock, and power rectifiers are among the most exposed packages. This guide covers what lead-free changes, the profile parameters, the peak-versus-package limit, and the process qualification. What Lead-Free Changes for Power Devices Lead-free solder alloys melt at higher temperatures than the … Read more
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