A new Infineon protection diode, the smallest in the world, guards today's portable electronic equipment against electrostatic discharge
Infineon has unveiled a diode just 0.6mm long, 0.3mm wide and 0.3mm high, it is smaller than a sugar crystal, yet it can safely dissipate charges as high as 20,000 volts and protect advanced electronic equipment like mobile phones, digital video and still cameras and MP3 players.
On winter days, in the dry air of heated rooms, people often experience electrostatic discharges. Wearing a pullover or other item of clothing with synthetic fabrics can cause sparks fly – literally. The tiny flashes are discharges of static electricity that can be as powerful as 15,000 volts, with currents as high as 50 amperes. If the charge is grounded properly by earthed objects like radiators or water pipes, it does not do any harm. But if it discharges into a mobile phone or another consumer electronics device, it can seriously damage the highly integrated circuits inside – unless the device is protected by special ESD components known as TVS diodes.
Infineon has unveiled a diode just 0.6mm long, 0.3mm wide and 0.3mm high, it is smaller than a sugar crystal, yet it can safely dissipate charges as high as 20,000 volts and protect advanced electronic equipment like mobile phones, digital video and still cameras and MP3 players.
With a response time of less than half a nanosecond, it also reacts to ESD discharges extremely fast. The new diode not only makes it possible to build smaller and more sophisticated electronic devices, it also helps to enhance their reliability and though quality.
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