Which characteristic of a Schottky diode makes it a better choice than a silicon junction diode for use as a power supply rectifier?

Schottky diodes are constructed with a metal-semiconductor junction rather than the traditional P-N semiconductor junction found in standard silicon diodes. This unique construction results in a much lower forward voltage drop when the diode is conducting. A typical silicon junction diode drops about 0.6 to 0.7 volts, whereas a Schottky diode drops only about 0.15 to 0.45 volts. When used as a power supply rectifier, this lower voltage drop translates directly to less wasted power and reduced heat generation, significantly increasing the efficiency of the power supply. The distractors highlight characteristics that are either incorrect or apply to other components. In fact, one major trade-off of a Schottky diode is that it generally has a lower reverse voltage breakdown compared to standard silicon diodes, not a higher one.