A part search for “GS” returns silicon MOSFETs and SiC Schottky diodes with the same prefix, and the engineer who does not read the full part number can design a three-terminal transistor where a two-terminal diode belongs. Good-Ark’s silicon-carbide portfolio is two families with one naming trap: GS-series SiC Schottky diodes for rectification and freewheeling, and GMS-series SiC MOSFETs for switching. This overview maps both families by voltage class, package and application, and explains how to navigate from the series name to the correct datasheet.
The SiC portfolio splits into GS Schottky diodes and GMS MOSFETs
The portfolio has two device families — SiC Schottky diodes with GS-series part numbers and SiC MOSFETs with GMS-series part numbers — grouped separately in the catalog under the wide-bandgap heading.
SiC Schottky diodes appear in families such as the GS02D and GS04D ranges, in packages from small SMD bodies to through-hole power formats, and their role is rectification without recovery: boost diodes in PFC, freewheeling diodes across switches, and output rectifiers in high-frequency stages. SiC MOSFETs appear with GMS-series part numbers in power packages such as TO-247 and TOLL-style formats, and their role is switching: inverter stages, PFC switches and DC-DC converters where low switching loss and high-temperature operation justify the technology. The catalog keeps the two families separate because the selection criteria — diode window versus MOSFET gate drive — are different.
The GS prefix identifies the diode series only when the full part number agrees
On a SiC Schottky, the GS prefix identifies the diode series, not the silicon MOSFET line that shares the same letters — the full part number, the series page and the datasheet resolve which device family a GS part belongs to.
The GS prefix appears in both Good-Ark’s silicon MOSFET naming and its SiC Schottky naming, which is a genuine source of confusion in searches and BOM reviews. A SiC Schottky is a two-terminal diode whose defining characteristics are blocking voltage, forward drop, leakage and surge capability; a GS-prefixed silicon MOSFET is a three-terminal transistor with gate drive and RDS(on). The full part number distinguishes them — the series page and datasheet confirm the function and the material. When a search or a distributor listing returns a GS part, confirm the function and the datasheet before assuming the technology, because the design steps are entirely different.
Which SiC Schottky fits a PFC or freewheeling position?
A SiC Schottky fits PFC and freewheeling positions where the diode’s lack of reverse recovery removes a loss and EMI source — sized by voltage class, current at temperature, surge and package thermal path.
In a continuous-conduction-mode boost, a silicon fast-recovery diode recovers at high current every cycle, adding loss and EMI; a SiC Schottky has no minority-carrier recovery event, which is why it appears in higher-frequency, higher-efficiency stages. The selection is a diode window: voltage class above the worst transient, current at the operating temperature, surge capability for the application’s events, and thermal resistance through the chosen package. The GS-series pages show the voltage and package classes available, and the datasheet confirms the numbers for the specific part. ROHM’s diode technology comparison explains the recovery difference that makes SiC Schottky diodes attractive in those positions.
GMS SiC MOSFETs require a defined gate window and a careful layout
A GMS SiC MOSFET requires a gate drive that meets its recommended voltage window — commonly around 18-20 V turn-on with a negative turn-off bias at high dv/dt — and a layout that keeps gate ringing and parasitic turn-on under control.
SiC MOSFETs switch fast because their capacitance and stored charge are small, and that speed moves the design effort to the gate drive and layout. The recommended turn-on voltage is higher than a silicon MOSFET’s typical 10-12 V, the threshold is lower, and a negative turn-off bias is often used to prevent parasitic turn-on during the complementary device’s switching. The package matters too: low-inductance formats preserve the fast edges that make SiC valuable. The datasheet’s gate charge, switching energy and thermal data are read for the specific GMS part, and the drive design follows them. TI’s MOSFET gate-drive note and ROHM’s MOSFET basics series cover the charge math behind that drive.
Which applications fit the SiC portfolio?
PFC boost stages, solar inverters, EV chargers and industrial power are the primary fits — SiC Schottky diodes in the rectifier and freewheeling positions and SiC MOSFETs in the switching positions — where frequency, efficiency or temperature targets justify the technology.
The application fit follows the loss comparison: SiC earns its cost where lower switching loss shrinks magnetics and heatsinks, or where high ambient temperature exceeds silicon’s practical limits. In PFC, the SiC Schottky removes the boost diode’s recovery loss and the SiC MOSFET raises the switching frequency. In solar inverters and EV chargers, both device types appear in the power train. In industrial UPS and auxiliary converters, SiC appears where frequency or temperature targets demand it. The decision is always a system comparison at the operating points — the portfolio provides the components, and the loss spreadsheet decides where they belong. Mouser’s power-device overview shows the application-side reasoning for the switching devices.
Decoding a SiC part number starts with the family and ends at the datasheet
Decode it by family first — GS for SiC Schottky and GMS for SiC MOSFET — then read the voltage class, current and package or version fields from the series page, and confirm every rating on the current datasheet.
The series name encodes part of the story, but the exact meaning of each field is documented per series and differs between the diode and MOSFET lines. The discipline is to use the full part number, not the prefix: confirm the device function (two-terminal diode or three-terminal MOSFET), the voltage class, the package and the version suffix, then open the datasheet PDF for the exact ratings. A part search that stops at the prefix is where the GS confusion begins; a review that ends at the datasheet is where it ends.
The voltage class and package are the practical filters after the family is confirmed: 650 V and 1200 V classes cover the PFC, solar, charging and industrial stages where SiC earns its cost, and the package choice — small SMD, TO-220-style through-hole, TO-247 or TOLL-style leadless — follows the current and the thermal path. The same voltage class can exist in two packages with very different current capability, because the package decides how the heat leaves the die. Read the package outline and the thermal data together with the electrical ratings before comparing parts across series.
| Portfolio element | Series pattern | Role | Key datasheet sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiC Schottky diode | GS02D / GS04D families | Boost, freewheeling, rectification | Voltage, VF, leakage, surge, thermal |
| SiC MOSFET | GMS families | Switching positions | Gate drive, RDS(on), switching energy, SOA |
Frequently asked questions
Why does a GS part sometimes appear as a MOSFET?
Because GS is also used on Good-Ark’s silicon MOSFET line. The prefix alone does not identify the technology. Check the full part number and the datasheet: a SiC Schottky is a two-terminal diode, while a GS silicon MOSFET is a three-terminal transistor. The series page resolves the ambiguity before design-in.
Do I need a SiC Schottky with every SiC MOSFET?
No. The SiC MOSFET body diode can handle freewheeling in many designs because it recovers fast, but its high forward voltage adds dead-time loss. Add a SiC Schottky where the loss comparison at the real dead time and frequency shows the lower forward drop pays for the extra component.
Are the SiC MOSFET and Schottky datasheets interchangeable in design?
No. A diode datasheet gives blocking voltage, forward drop, leakage and surge; a MOSFET datasheet adds gate charge, threshold, RDS(on), switching energy and SOA. Use the correct datasheet for the device function, and verify the part number — mixing the two is the fastest way to a failed design review.
What documentation should I request for an automotive SiC program?
Request the qualification report, the reliability data and the compliance statements for the specific part number, and confirm the mission profile coverage — temperature range, power cycling and the relevant automotive qualification. Verify the documentation matches the part number you are designing in, not the family it belongs to.
What the SiC portfolio decision comes down to
The decision comes down to device function and voltage class: GS SiC Schottky diodes for rectification and freewheeling, GMS SiC MOSFETs for switching — with the full part number and datasheet resolving the prefix confusion before design-in.
Navigate by series and package, decode the part number from the full string, and confirm every rating on the current datasheet. The portfolio provides the map; the datasheet and the loss comparison provide the decision.
The SiC Schottky category and the SiC MOSFET category group the series with their datasheets, and the product family learning center collects the related SiC selection guides. Send the application, voltage class and operating conditions to the engineering team for a confirmed family recommendation.