Extremely small TVS diodes offer very low capacitances and clamping voltages

TDK Corporation has increased its range of TVS diodes characterised by their remarkably low capacitance values for bidirectional overvoltage protection to include the ULC series (Ultra Low Clamping and Capacitance). The SD01005SL-ULC101 type has a minimum capacitance of ~0.5pF and the SD0201SL-ULC101 type of ~0.6pF, both at 1MHz.

The new TVS diodes are intended for a maximum operating voltage of 3.3V. The ULC products provide an extremely low clamping voltage of ~3.8V at a peak pulse current of 8A or 16A at ~5V and a breakdown voltage of 6.3V. Further features incorporate very short response times and the very low leakage current of ~1nA at 3.3V. They are created in accordance with IEC 61000-4-2 for an ESD contact discharge of up to 15kV.

Despite the high-level performance of sturdy protective components, the diodes meet the highest demands in miniaturisation. Their dimensions in the WL-CSP are only 400µm x 200µm (WL-CSP01005) or 600µm x 300µm (WL-CSP0201) with a height of 100µm in the 01005 size or 150µm in the 0201 size. Despite their extremely small size, the components are intended for a high surge current load of up to 7A according to IEC 61000-4-5 (8/20µs).

The diodes are ideal for the reliable ESD protection of high-speed interface ICs and data lines, including USB 3.1, USB 3.2, HDMI, FireWire and Thunderbolt due to their parasitic capacitances and clamping voltage.

Typical target applications include smartphones, notebooks, tablets, wearables and ESD sensitive network components.