TVS diodes deliver USB-C ESD protection

For IoT, smart homes and Industry 4.0, protecting voltage sensitive components from ESD is critical. Up to three different types of TVS diodes are required for complete ESD protection of USB-C. TDK Electronics has launched a new series of compact TVS diodes with very low parasitic capacitance values and low clamping voltage necessary for high-speed USB-C ports, operating at up to 40 Gbit/s with USB4 version 1.

(Source: TDK Corp.)

In addition to USB-C, the ESD protection components can be used for other high-speed interfaces such as Thunderbolt, HDMI, Display Port, FireWire, DVI, S-ATA or SWP/NFC. Typical applications include smartphones, tablets, notebooks, wearables and network components.

The ultra-low clamping voltage and capacitance TVS diodes, the B74111U0055M060 and B74121U0055M060, feature maximum DC voltages of up to 5.5 V and capacitance values of 0.48 pF and 0.65 pF at 1 MHz, respectively, so that signal integrity is not compromised. They are suitable for the conventional USB2.0 data bus of USB-C (D+/ D-). Their clamping voltages are 3.9 V and 4.0 V with an I_TLP of 8 A. Designed for high ESD discharge voltage of up to 15 kV, the TVS diodes are manufactured in compact WLCSP 01005 and WLCSP 0201 packages and are extremely flat with heights of 100 µm and 150 µm, respectively, enabling them to be easily integrated into USB-C SIP modules. The ESD protection exceeds standard requirements, according to TDK.

Power lines VBUS can be used to transmit a maximum of 100 W at voltages of up to 20 V and currents of 5 A, also requiring safe ESD protection. Within the new TVS family, TDK’s general-purpose diodes include the B74121G0160M060, which features a maximum working voltage of 16 V and the B74121G0200M060 with a value of 20 V. Clamping voltages are rated at 23 V and 27 V, respectively, at an I_TLP of 8 A. They also feature capacitance values of 6 pF and 5 pF, respectively, with high linearity and are rated for ESD contact discharge voltages of 15 kV. They are also designed in the compact WLCSP 0201 form factor with a height of 150 µm.

The new series of TVS diodes all have minimal space requirements of 400 x 200 µm² or 600 x 300 µm² in chip scale package (CSP).