ROHM recently announced the expansion of its Schottky barrier diode product portfolio with 24 new compact and high-efficiency models (12 RBR series and 12 RBQ series). These devices – 178 in total – ¬ are ideal for protection and rectification circuits in automotive, industrial equipment, and consumer applications.

Diodes are commonly used in a variety of circuits for rectification and protection. Moreover, as lower power consumption is required in most applications, the adoption of SBDs – which are more efficient than other diodes – is on the rise. However, if VF is lowered to improve efficiency, IR which is inversely related to VF will become higher. This increases the risk of thermal runaway, so it is important to balance both VF and IR when selecting SBDs for circuit design.

In response, ROHM strengthened its lineup of SBDs that balances small size with low VF and IR– characteristics demanded by the automotive sector. The market-proven RBR and RBQ series have been further expanded to include a lineup of compact high current, high voltage products that enable rectification and protection in a wider range of applications.

ROHM launches new compact and efficient SBD lineup for automotive applications-SemiMedia
ROHM launches new compact and efficient SBD lineup for automotive applications-SemiMedia

Introducing a new process allows ROHM to improve the chip performance of both series by 25% (VF of RBR series in particular) over ROHM’s conventional products. Furthermore, the RBR series features excellent low VF characteristics – key to improving efficiency and reducing loss. This makes them ideal for automotive applications as well as consumer electronics such as laptops where high efficiency is required. In fact, 12 of the products adopt a compact package (PMDE package) that reduces mounting area by 42% compared to existing products (PMDU package).

At the same time, the RBQ series delivers excellent low IR characteristics that enable stable operation in high temperature environments – significantly reducing the risk of thermal runaway which is a concern with SBDs. As such they are ideal for automotive powertrain applications and power supplies for industrial equipment that operate in high temperature environments. 12 new 100V products have been added to meet the need for higher voltages. And both series are qualified under the AEC-Q101 standard to ensure automotive-grade reliability.