Cree Releases Packaged 1700V SiC Schottky Diodes to Improve Efficiency and Enable Cost Savings to Solar, Motor Drive and Traction Applications

DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a market leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, has introduced a series of packaged diodes that deliver the industry’s highest blocking voltage available in SiC Schottky technology. Cree’s 1700V Z-Rec^® Schottky diodes virtually eliminate the reverse recovery losses suffered in silicon PiN diode alternatives, enabling ultra-efficient, smaller and lighter systems—all with improved reliability. These newly released packaged products extend the performance improvements and system cost savings enabled by Z-Rec technology at 1700V to lower-power applications designed with discrete components.

“They provide all the proven benefits of Cree’s Z-Rec SiC Schottky diodes—zero reverse recovery losses, temperature-independent switching and higher frequency operation.”

“Cree’s 1700V silicon carbide Schottky diodes are ideal for high-efficiency power electronics systems,” explained Cengiz Balkas, Cree vice president and general manager, Power and RF. “They provide all the proven benefits of Cree’s Z-Rec SiC Schottky diodes—zero reverse recovery losses, temperature-independent switching and higher frequency operation.”

While the 1700V bare die have been available for customers who design their own custom power modules, the new TO-247-2 packages allow customers to take advantage of SiC for lower-power 1700V designs, enable more design flexibility in choosing current levels, and support a faster time to market.

“The availability of 1700V SiC Schottky diodes provides a number of advantages for design engineers in high-voltage power applications,” added Balkas. “Silicon carbide diodes enable maximum power efficiency and better EMI performance. The switching loss improvement allows for increased system frequencies that can reduce the size of magnetic and capacitive components. Significant reductions in system size, weight and cost can be achieved. Moreover, the availability of 1700V SiC diodes can eliminate the need for stacking multiple lower voltage silicon diodes, thereby cutting component count, improving thermal performance and increasing reliability.

Designated the C3Dxx170H Series, the new Cree SiC Schottky diodes are rated for 10A/1700V and 25A/1700V and are available in an industry standard TO-247-2 package. Operating junction temperature is rated for -55°C to +175°C.

The datasheet is available at www.cree.com/power/diodes.asp. Check with Cree for availability of devices in die form. For samples and more information about Cree’s SiC power devices, please visit www.cree.com/power.

About Cree

Cree is a market-leading innovator of semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications, lighting-class LEDs, and LED lighting solutions.

Cree's product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and solar inverters.

For additional product and company information, please refer to www.cree.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk that we may be unable to manufacture these products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the risk we may encounter delays or other difficulties in ramping up production of our new products; customer acceptance of the new products; the possibility that actual savings may vary from expectations; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree’s products obsolete; and other factors discussed in Cree’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 26, 2011, and subsequent filings.

Cree and Z-Rec are trademarks registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Cree, Inc.