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Re: [Amps] HV Diodes

To: Manfred Mornhinweg <manfred@ludens.cl>
Subject: Re: [Amps] HV Diodes
From: Steven Katz <stevek@jmr.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:02:13 +0000
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>
It may well be a non-standard diode (no "1N" JEDEC number -- there are billions 
of such items manufactured).

The 1N5622 1.2V Vf spec was actually based on the Semtech design, when it was 
registered as a JAN/JANTX/JTXV1N5622 under MIL-S-19500/427.  That's a "max" 
rating at 25C.  At higher temps, the Vf is lower.  The reason it seems "so 
high" is at the time, the triple-layer suprataxial junction Semtech was using 
had higher Vf than double diffused or common epitaxial designs, but it was used 
because it's very rugged and very low leakage, irrespective of the actual 
specification.   Due to the cost of the materials and construction used, this 
was never really intended to be a commercial device.

-WB2WIK

-----Original Message-----
From: Manfred Mornhinweg [mailto:manfred@ludens.cl] 
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2014 1:55 PM
To: Steven Katz
Cc: Amplifier Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Amps] HV Diodes

Steve,

> The Alpha bridge modules discussed below are these:
> http://www.deantechnology.com/pdf/pdf24.pdf

Yes.

> It's P/N 2HVFWB5KB and uses glass passivated rectifier cells which are 
> not 1N4007s, but ratings are similar.

Among the diodes I know, the 1N5622 fits the bill best. It is glass passivated, 
and has the same surge current and reverse current rating of that bridge. Just 
the forward drop doesn't agree, it's given as 1.2V, while the bridge's rating 
of 4.8V for what must be 5 diodes would be 0.96V per diode. So, they must be 
using some different diodes. Maybe 4 diodes in each leg, rated at 1250V, but 
there are only a few types of this voltage, and they have higher forward drop. 
I don't know any that matches the other specs.

> Adding heat sinking and potting material around semiconductors doesn't 
> change their surge rating in any way.  The surge rating is an 
> instantaneous rating based on a 8.33 mS half sine wave and with or 
> without any sort of heat sinking, this won't change.

Basically that's right. My only reason to think that the surge rating might 
change with potting, is due to a lower operating temperature. If a diode is 
potted in a resin that has decent thermal conductivity, and the package is put 
to a heatsink, the diode will work cooler then when operating in free air. In 
that case, there is a larger margin for surge currents _during operation_, 
because there is a larger thermal headroom through which the diode die can warm 
up from the surge. Of course the inrush surge rating when cold would not 
change, and thus the issue is really moot, and you are right! ;-)

Would be fun to discover what exact diode they used!

Manfred

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