Feb 26, 2011 
Surface-mount TO-252 D-Pak device can enable smaller, lower-cost, and more-efficient solar-power micro-inverters.
Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a market leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, announces the availability of the industry’s first commercial 1200-V surface-mount SiC Schottky diode.
Packaged in an industry-standard surface-mount TO-252 D-Pak, the Schottky diodes deliver the same proven performance as Cree’s TO-220 through-hole devices, with a smaller board footprint and lower profile. This can enable the design of smaller, lower-cost and more-efficient solar-power micro-inverters, compared to systems designed with larger and bulkier through-hole parts.
"Our customers designing high-efficiency micro-inverters for solar power applications wanted to simplify their designs without compromising system efficiency. They were looking for a surface-mount device that could deliver the same performance they had come to expect from SiC Schottky diodes – zero reverse-recovery losses, high-frequency operation with a low EMI signature, and reduced operating temperatures," explained Cengiz Balkas, Cree vice president and general manager, Power and RF. "Given Cree's experience in developing high-voltage SiC power devices, the move to the surface-mount D-Pak was a natural extension of our Schottky diode product line to serve this critical market."
"Design trends in solar-power micro-inverters are requiring the use of surface-mount components with smaller footprints and lower profiles," said Alessandro Di Nicco, design engineer new platforms, Power-One. "This enables us to both reduce the size of the inverter circuitry and lower the cost, while maintaining reliability and high efficiency, with the eventual goal of physically integrating the micro-inverter into the solar panels themselves. Cree’s new surface-mount Schottky diodes represent a significant step in that development."
Cree C2D05120E Schottky diodes are rated for 5 A and 1200 V, with approximate board-mounted dimensions of 6.6-mm wide x 9.9-mm long x 2.3-mm high. Operating junction and storage temperature is rated for -55°C to +175°C.
The C2D05120E surface-mount Schottky diodes are fully qualified and released for production use. For samples and more information about Cree’s SiC power devices, please visit http://www.cree.com/power.
Cree is a market-leading innovator of semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications, lighting-class LEDs, and LED lighting solutions.
