What is a Schottky Diode? Commonly Used Where?

A Schottky diode is a special type of diode with superior conductivity compared to ordinary p-n junction diodes. Its working principle relies on the rectification effect at the metal-semiconductor interface. Compared to conventional p-n junction diodes, Schottky diodes feature a lower forward voltage drop and faster switching speed, offering better high-frequency performance and reliability.

Schottky diodes are commonly used in high-frequency circuits, such as radio frequency power amplifiers, frequency synthesizers, discriminators, and mixers. They can also be employed in power circuits for reverse protection and reverse voltage limitation.

Additionally, due to the strong temperature dependence of the conduction characteristics of Schottky diodes, they are suitable for application scenarios such as temperature measurement and environmental monitoring.