Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) devices are more appropriate protectors than Zeners. They are designed to absorb overvoltage transients and react faster than Zeners which are designed to operate as voltage regulators. Zeners also have much larger shunt capacitance.
Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS) and Zener diodes are both used to absorb excess energy and protect your circuit from damage when voltage levels spike above the device’s clamping voltage. What’s the difference between them?
Comparing the two, TVS diodes have a faster response time (ns level) and a higher surge current absorbing ability, making them more suited to instant circuit protection against transient voltage spikes. When a TVS diode suffers from high transient voltage, the diode’s resistance changes from high to low very quickly, absorbing the transient current and protecting your delicate downstream devices. Then the voltage is clamped down to a fixed value to prevent high peak voltage from damaging your protected chips.

Gary
W9TD