Schottky Diodes and Zener Diodes are both diodes, and both are used in certain types of rectifier circuits, but they are completely different types of parts. Their typical electrical characteristics are shown below:
| Schottky Diode | Zener Diode | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Metal-Semi Conductor Junction | P-N junction |
| Voltage - DC Reverse | Higher | Lower |
| Forward Voltage Drop | Lower | Higher |
| Reverse Recovery Time | Shorter | Longer |
| Application | High-frequency rectification, higher voltage protection | Steady breakdown voltage, low-frequency operation |
| Application example(1) | Switching Mode Power Supply Rectification | Overvoltage Protection Circuit |
| Application example(2) | High-Speed Interface Protection Circuit (e.g. USB, HDMI) | Voltage Reference |
You cannot use a zener diode in place of a Schottky diode, or vice versa. Doing so will result in decreased performance, undesired behavior, or even damage to the system at worst.
There is also a great post on Zener Diode Basic Operation and Applications on Maker.io
