DEE20023

SEMICONDUCTOR
DEVICES

TOPIC 5
INTODUCTION TO OTHER
SEMICONDUCTOR
COMPONENTS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
BY THE END OF THIS LESSON, STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO :

know the construction of these semiconductor

01 components: Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR),
TRIAC, DIAC, Uni-junction Transistor (UJT)

02
explain the characteristics and application of SCR,
TRIAC, DIAC and UJT
INTRODUCTION
• PN junction in diode, PNP and NPN layer such in transistor can be applied in other
semiconductor devices.

• You must apply your knowledge in previous topics about PN junction formation in this topic.
SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
• Silicon Controlled Rectifier, or SCR is a four-layer, three-junction and a three-terminal device.
• SCR is also known as a thyristor.
• SCR is a device that is widely used for controlling or switching power and often used in high
voltage AC or DC circuits.
Anode
Anode

P
N
Gate P
N
Gate

Cathode
- Cathode
Physical Structure Schematic Symbol Equivalent Schematic
SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
SCR operation
• SCR will not conduct initially.
• SCR allows current to flow from Anode to Cathode when a control
voltage is applied to it's gate terminal.
• It will not turn off even after the gate voltage has been removed.
• The SCR will only turn off when the forward current drops to zero.

Conventional Current Flow

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SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
SCR I-V Characteristic
The reverse characteristics are the same as for
diode, having a reverse breakdown voltage with its
avalanche current; and a leakage current for reverse
voltages.

 However, in the forward direction with open gate,

the SCR remains essentially in an OFF condition
(although that there is a small forward leakage),
until the forward breakover voltage is reached.

 At the “knee” point the curve snaps back to a

typical forward diode characteristic.

The application of a small forward gate voltage

switches the SCR onto its standard diode forward
characteristic for voltages less than the forward
breakover voltage.

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SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
How do we turn “OFF” the SCR?
Once the SCR has self-latched into its “ON” state, it can turned “OFF” by:

i. Anode Current Interruption

- the Anode current (IA) can be interrupted by opening the line switch, S.

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SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
How do we turn “OFF” the SCR?
Once the SCR has self-latched into its “ON” state, it can turned “OFF” by:

ii. Commutation
Commutation means the transfer of currents from one path to another.
Commutation circuit reduce the forward current to zero so as to turn OFF the SCR.

TWO methods of commutation:

1) Natural commutation
2) Forced commutation

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SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)
How do we turn “OFF” the SCR?
1) Natural commutation
SCR is connected to an AC supply and at every end of the positive half cycle the anode
current goes through the natural current zero and also immediately a reverse voltage is
applied across the SCR. These are the conditions to turn OFF the SCR.

2) Forced Commutation
- Forcing current through SCR in the opposite direction so that the
forward current is decreased below the holding current (IH).

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SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER (SCR)

SCR application
The basic purpose of an SCR is to function as a switch that can turn
ON or OFF small or large amount of power.

Some application of SCR:

i. As a switch
ii. AC voltage stabilizers
iii. Power control
iv. Light dimmer
v. Motor speed control

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 TRIAC
• As we know, the SCR is a unidirectional device, meaning that it passes current in
one direction only, from Anode to Cathode.
• However, triac can conduct current in either direction when triggered by a single
gate pulse.
• Triac is a 4-layer, PNPN in the positive direction and a NPNP in the negative
direction, three-terminal bidirectional device.

MT – Main Terminal

Physical Structure Schematic Symbol Equivalent Schematic

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 TRIAC
Triac I-V Characteristic
Triac has four possible triggering modes of
operation as follows:

• Ι + Mode = MT2 current positive (+ve),

Gate current positive (+ve)
•Ι – Mode = MT2 current positive (+ve),
Gate current negative (-ve)
• ΙΙΙ + Mode = MT2 current negative (-ve),
Gate current positive (+ve)
•ΙΙΙ – Mode = MT2 current negative (-ve),
Gate current negative (-ve)

Modes Ι– and ΙΙΙ+ are less sensitive configurations,

requiring a greater gate current to cause triggering. The
common triac triggering modes are Ι+ and ΙΙΙ–. 12
TRIAC APPLICATION
Triac Switching Circuit
When switch SW1 open, no current flows into the
Gate. The triac and the lamp is therefore “OFF”.
When SW1 is closed, Gate current is applied to the
triac from the battery supply VG via resistor R and the
triac is driven into full conduction acting like a closed
switch and full power is drawn by the lamp from the
sinusoidal supply.
As the battery supplies a positive Gate current to the
triac whenever switch SW1 is closed, the triac is
therefore continually gated in modes Ι+ and ΙΙΙ+
regardless of the polarity of terminal MT2.

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TRIAC APPLICATION

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DIAC
• Diac stands for DIode AC switch.
• Diac has three-layer, two-junction semiconductor device but unlike the
transistor the Diac has no base connection.
• Diac is a two terminal device, labelled Anode 1 (A1) and Anode 2 (A2).
• Diac has no control or amplification but is a bidirectional switching diode as
they can conduct current from either polarity of a suitable AC voltage supply.

Schematic Symbol

Physical Structure 15
DIAC
Diac I-V Characteristic
Diac blocks the flow of current in both
directions until the applied voltage is greater
than breakdown voltage or breakover voltage
(VBR ).
In zener diode, the zener voltage would remain
constant as the current increased. However, in
diac the voltage is reduced as the current
increases.
Once in the conducting state, the resistance of
the diac falls to a very low value allowing a
relatively large value of current to flow.
The typical value of diac breakdown voltage
ranges from about ±25 to 35 volts.

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DIAC APPLICATION
Diac AC Phase Control
Diac has the same characteristic for both positive and negative voltages and it is this negative
resistance action that makes the Diac suitable as a triggering device for SCR’s or Triacs.

As the AC supply voltage increases at the

beginning of the cycle, capacitor, C is charged
through the series combination of the fixed resistor,
R1 and the potentiometer, VR1 and the voltage across
its plates increases.

When the charging voltage reaches the breakover

voltage of the Diac (about 30 V), the Diac breaks
down and the capacitor discharges through the Diac,
producing a sudden pulse of current, which fires the
Triac into conduction.

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UNI-JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (UJT)
• Uni-junction transistor (UJT) is constructed from separate P-type and N-type semiconductor
materials forming a single (hence its name Uni-Junction) PN-junction within the main
conducting N-type channel of the device.
• The symbol for the UJT looks very similar to that of the junction field effect transistor or
JFET, except that it has a bent arrow representing the Emitter( E ) input.
• UJT has terminal Base1 (B1) and terminal Base2 (B2) between the Emitter, E.

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 UNI-JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (UJT)
UJT Characteristics
RB1
is called the intrinsic stand-off ratio
RB1  RB 2
and is given the Greek symbol: η (eta).

Typical standard values of η range from 0.5 to 0.8 for most

common UJT’s.

If a small positive input voltage which is less than the

voltage ηVBB is applied to the Emitter input terminal, the
diode p-n junction is reverse biased, UJT is switched “OFF” and
zero current flows.
RB1
VRB1  xVBB When the input voltage is increased more than ηVBB + 0.7V,
RB1  RB 2 the p-n junction becomes forward biased and the UJT begins
to conduct. The result is that Emitter current, ηIE now flows
from the Emitter into the Base region.

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UJT APPLICATION
 The most common application of UJT is as a triggering device for SCR and Triac.
 Other UJT applications include saw-toothed generators, simple oscillators, phase
control, and timing circuits.
 The simplest of all UJT circuits is the Relaxation Oscillator producing non-
sinusoidal waveforms.

UJT Relaxation Oscillator

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UJT APPLICATION UJT Relaxation Oscillator

UJT Oscillator Waveforms

When a voltage (Vs) is firstly applied, UJT is “OFF”. The capacitor C1 begins to charge up exponentially
through resistor R3.
When the charging voltage Vc across the capacitor becomes greater than the diode volt drop value, the
p-n junction behaves as a normal diode and becomes forward biased triggering the UJT into
conduction. The UJT is “ON”.
At this point, the Emitter current flows through R1.
As the value of resistor R1 is very low, the capacitor discharges rapidly through the UJT and a fast rising
voltage pulse appears across R1. The capacitor discharges more quickly through the UJT than it does
charging up through resistor R3, the discharging time is a lot less than the charging time as the
capacitor discharges through the low resistance UJT. 21
CONCLUSION

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CONCLUSION

UJT is used as a
SCR and TRIAC DIAC is a
triggering device for SCR
are electronic bidirectional
and TRIAC, also as saw-
devices that act as switching diode that
toothed generators and
a switch which is can conduct current
simple oscillators.
cheaper than a from both polarity of
relay. an AC voltage
supply.

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PAST YEARS QUESTIONS
Multiple Choices:
1. The SCR can be triggered on by a pulse at the ______
A. gate B. anode
C. cathode D. none of the above

2. Figure below shows an application of a DIAC as a _____________

A. lamp dimmer B. negative resistance

C. heat control D. high power lamp switch

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PAST YEARS QUESTIONS
3. The followings are the function of TRIAC except ______
A. lamp dimmer B. motor speed control
C. phase power control D. component trigger

4. Below are THREE (3) applications of UJT except _____________

A. timer circuit B. phase control
C. signal generator circuit D. voltage regulator

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PAST YEARS QUESTIONS
Structured Questions
1. State TWO (2) ways to stop an SCR operation. (2 marks)

2. List THREE (3) SCR applications in electronic circuit. (3 marks)

3. Name the terminals for UJT. (3 marks)

2. _________

1. _________

3. _________

4. Draw the physical structure of SCR. (3 marks)

5. i. Draw the equivalent circuit for TRIAC by using SCR. (3 marks)

ii. State TWO (2) applications of UJT. (2 marks)

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