What are snubber circuits and why are they used?

Snubber circuits protect power switches from voltage spikes and reduce switching losses. RC snubbers across switches limit dv/dt during turn-off, preventing false triggering and reducing voltage overshoot from stray inductance. RCD snubbers also clamp voltage to specific levels. Turn-on snubbers (inductors) limit di/dt, reducing reverse recovery effects in diodes. Snubbers absorb energy, so they add losses. Design balances protection versus efficiency. Modern fast devices may use only minimal snubbing with proper layout.