The Schottky diode (named after German physicist Walter H. Schottky) is a semiconductor diode with a low forward voltage drop and a very fast switching action. A typical application is discharge-protection for solar cells connected to lead-acid batteries. While standard silicon diodes have a forward voltage drop of about 0.6 volts, Schottky diodes have a drop of only about 0.3 volts. This is due to the higher current density in the Schottky diode. Walter H. Schottky (July 23, 1886, Zürich, Switzerland - March 4, 1976, Pretzfeld, West Germany) was a German physicist who invented the screen-grid vacuum tube in 1915 and the tetrode in 1919 while working at Siemens. ... A semiconductor is a material with an electrical conductivity that is intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor. ... Types of diodes In electronics, a diode is a component that restricts the direction of movement of charge carriers. ... A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is a semiconductor device consisting of a large-area p-n junction diode, which in the presence of sunlight is capable of generating usable electrical energy. ... Lead-acid batteries, invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté, are the most commonly used rechargeable batteries today. ... The volt (symbol: V) is the SI derived unit of electric potential difference. ...

A Schottky diode uses a metal-semiconductor junction as a Schottky barrier (instead of a semiconductor-semiconductor junction as in conventional diodes). This Schottky barrier results in both very fast switching times and low forward voltage drop. A Schottky barrier is a metal-semiconductor junction which has rectifying characteristics, suitable for use as a diode. ... A p-n junction is formed by combining N-type and P-type semiconductors together in very close contact. ...

It is often said that the Schottky diode is a "majority carrier" semiconductor device. This means that if the semiconductor body is doped N-type, only the N-type carriers (mobile electrons) play a significant role in normal operation of the device. No slow, random recombination of N- and P- type carriers is involved, so this diode can cease conduction faster than an ordinary PN rectifier diode. This property in turn allows a smaller device area, which also makes for a faster transition. Therefore broad-area Schottky diodes are useful in switch-mode power converters which operate at frequencies approaching 1 MHz. Small-area Schottky diodes are the heart of RF detectors and mixers, which often operate up to 5 GHz. Charge carrier denotes in physics a free (mobile, unbound) particle carrying an electric charge. ... Properties The electron is a fundamental subatomic particle which carries a negative electric charge. ... In solid state physics, recombination is the process by which the broken semiconductor crystal bonds are restored, via a mutual elimination of an electron and a hole, the complementary charge carriers. ... Types of diodes In electronics, a diode is a component that restricts the direction of movement of charge carriers. ... Power conversion is the process of converting power from one form into another. ... In general, something that reacts to stimuli in a set manner, and is either part of a living being, or made by a living being, for the purpose of doing such reacting. ... In telecommunication, a mixer is a nonlinear circuit or device that accepts as its input two different frequencies and presents at its output (a) a signal equal in frequency to the sum of the frequencies of the input signals, (b) a signal equal in frequency to the difference between the...

The most evident limitation of the Schottky diode is difficulty reaching high reverse-bias voltage ratings, and relatively high series resistance when high voltage ratings are attempted. Relatively high reverse leakage current may present an issue in some applications. Left: Series / Right: Parallel Arrows indicate direction of current flow. ... Electrical resistance is a measure of the degree to which an electrical component opposes the passage of current. ...

Commonly encountered Schottky diodes include the 1N5817, and Schottky metal-semiconductor junctions are featured in 7400 series logic devices because of their higher switching speeds and lower voltage drops. The 7400 series of TTL integrated circuit SSI devices were historically important as the first widespread family of IC devices. ...

External references

• The Metal-Semiconductor Junction. Schottky Diode.