The difference in between body diode & freewheeling diode

Your description is somewhat vague but try this. If you are referring to a power FET there is an inherent diode from source to drain sometimes called a body diode. It happens to be in the right configuration to be used as a freewheeling diode in certain inductive switching applications. However, since it is a consequence of the construction of the FET and it is not generally intended to be use as a diode it is ill advised to do so. You should use a discrete device for that function and not rely on this secondary feature of the FET.

*** Quote from recapper ****

Re: The difference in between body diode & freewheeling diode 10/29/2006 10:28 AM

Your description is somewhat vague but try this. If you are referring to a power FET there is an inherent diode from source to drain sometimes called a body diode. It happens to be in the right configuration to be used as a freewheeling diode in certain inductive switching applications. However, since it is a consequence of the construction of the FET and it is not generally intended to be use as a diode it is ill advised to do so. You should use a discrete device for that function and not rely on this secondary feature of the FET.

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Body Diode is a new term to me I think it is somewhat

"Stray Diode" or Stray components. Anyhow it is OK for description

Please correct it to read" ***Quote from 'rcapper' Reply # 1 ***

I think I have heard it referred to as parasitic. It is the result of junctions formed between the active elements and the substrate. Since the substrate is the host to the transistor I suppose it gets the analog "body".