15 V regulation point and thermal budget
The 1N6004B/TR is a 15 V Zener diode in the standard DO-35 axial package, rated for 500 mW continuous power dissipation. This power rating sets the maximum current the diode can handle while staying within its thermal limits — at 15 V, the continuous current ceiling is roughly 33 mA, though derating applies at elevated ambient temperatures. With a ±5% tolerance on the nominal 15 V Zener voltage, the actual regulation point falls between 14.25 V and 15.75 V. The 32 Ohm maximum Zener impedance (Zzt) means the regulation voltage shifts by up to 32 mV per mA of load current — a consideration when the diode supplies a varying load rather than a fixed reference.
Leakage and forward characteristics
Reverse leakage is specified at 100 nA maximum when biased at 11 V, which is 4 V below the Zener knee. This low leakage confirms the diode is fully off below the breakdown region, important for circuits where the Zener sits across a rail and must not load it until the threshold is reached. Forward voltage is 1.1 V maximum at 200 mA forward current — typical for a silicon diode of this size.