Thyristor Principles, Charecteristics Construction

Power Electronics
(AKTU Course Code: KEE603)
Thyristor: Principles, Static Anode–cathode

Characteristics
by
Dr. Brijesh Singh
(B.Tech, M.Tech, Ph.D)
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
KIET Group of Institutions
Power Electronics KEE603
INTRODUCTION
• The thyristor has four or more layers and three or more junctions (PNPN)
device.
• The Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) is the most widely used and important
member of the thyristor family.
• This device has revolutionized the art of solid state power control.
• The SCR is almost universally referred to as the thyristor.
• The name thyristor is derived by a combination of the capital letters from
thyratron and transistor.
• A thyratron is a type of gas-filled tube used as a high-power electrical switch
and controlled rectifier.
thyratron
Power
Semiconductor
Devices
Power ranges of
commercially
available power
semiconductors.
Applications
of power
devices
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF SCR

• The structure and symbol of the thyristor (SCR) are shown in Fig.
States of Device in Circuit
Forward blocking state or off-state
Reverse blocking state or off-state
Avalanche breakdown
Conducting state
Thyristor- Operation Principle

• Thyristor has three p-n junctions (J1, J2, J3 from the anode).
• When anode is at a positive potential (VAK) w.r.t cathode with no voltage
applied at the gate, junctions J1 & J3 are forward biased, while junction J2 is
reverse biased.
– As J2 is reverse biased, no conduction takes place, so thyristor is in
forward blocking state (OFF state).
– Now if VAK (forward voltage) is increased w.r.t cathode, forward leakage
current will flow through the device.
– When this forward voltage reaches a value of breakdown voltage (VBO) of
the thyristor, forward leakage current will reach saturation and reverse
biased junction (J2) will have avalanche breakdown and thyristor starts
conducting (ON state), known as forward conducting state .
• If Cathode is made more positive w.r.t anode, Junction J1 & J3 will be reverse
biased and junction J2 will be forward biased.
• A small reverse leakage current flows, this state is known as reverse blocking
state.
• As cathode is made more and more positive, stage is reached when both
junctions A & C will be breakdown, this voltage is referd as reverse breakdown
voltage (OFF state), and device is in reverse blocking state 7
STATIC ANODE–CATHODE
CHARACTERISTICS OF SCR
1. Reverse Blocking Region

• When the cathode is made positive with respect to anode with the switch s open, reverse biased
• Junction J1 and J3 are reverse biased and the middle junction J2 is forward biased
• Small leakage current (in mA) flows
• If the reverse voltage is increased, then at a critical breakdown level called reverse breakdown voltage VBR
2. Forward Blocking Region

1. In this region, the anode is made positive with respect to the cathode
2. The anode current is a small forward leakage current.
3. The device does not conduct.
3. Forward Conduction Region

1. When the anode to cathode forward voltage is increased with the gate circuit kept open,
avalanche breakdown occurs at the junction J2 at a critical forward break-over voltage (VBO),
and the SCR switches into a low impedance condition (high conduction mode).
• The structure and symbol of the thyristor (SCR) are shown in Fig.
States of Device in Circuit

• Forward blocking state or off-state
• Reverse blocking state or off-state
• Avalanche breakdown
• Conducting state
THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

(TWO TRANSISTOR ANALOGY)
It is observed from the figure that
the collector current of transistor T1
becomes the base current of
transistor T2 and vice versa.
So, Ic1 = Ib2 and Ib1 = Ic2
Also, Ik = Ia + Ig (1)
Now, we have the relation from
transistor analysis,
Ib1 = Ie1 – Ic1 (2)
Ic1 = α1 Ie1 + Ico1 (3) [Ic = α Ie]
where Ico1 is the reverse leakage

current of the reverse biased
junction J2 when the two outer
layers are not present.

Substituting Eq. (3) in Eq. (2) we get
Ib1 = Ie1 - α1 Ie1 - Ico1
Ib1 = (1 - α1 ) Ie1 - Ico1
From Fig.
Ia = Ie1
Ib1 = (1 - α1 ) Ia - Ico1 (4)
Ic2 = α2 Ie2 + Ico2
From Fig., it is also observed that the cathode
current of the SCR becomes the emitter-current of
transistor T2.
Ik = Ie2
Ic2 = α2 Iek + Ico2 (5)
Ib1 = Ic2 (6)
Substituting Eqs (4) and (5) in Eq. (6), we get
(1 - α1 ) Ia - Ico1 = α2 Iek + Ico2 (7)

Substituting Eq. (1) in Eq. (7), we get
(1 - α1 ) Ia - Ico1 = α2 (Ia+Ig) + Ico2
(1 - α1 -α2) Ia = α2 Ig + Ico2 + Ico1
[1 – (α1 + α2] Ia = α2 Ig + Ico1 + Ico2
So,
Ia = (α2 Ig + Ico1 + Ico2) / [1 – (α1 + α2)] (8)
Assuming the leakage current of transistor T1 and

T2 to be negligible small, we have
Ia = (α2 Ig) / [1 – (α1 + α2)] (9)


Ia = (α2 Ig) / [1 – (α1 + α2)] (9)
• From Eq. (9), it can be analyzed that if (α1 + α2)
= 1, the value of anode current Ia becomes
infinite, that is, the anode current suddenly
attains a very high value, approaching infinity.
• In other words, we can say that the device
suddenly latches into conduction (ON) state
from the non-conduction (OFF) state.
• This characteristic of the device is known as its
regenerative action.
• This can also be stated as the gate current Ig is
of such a value that (α1 + α2) approaches unity
value, the device will trigger.

This turn-on condition {(α1 + α2)≥ 1} of the SCR can be satisfied in the following ways:
(a) If the temperature of the device is very high, the leakage current through it increase, which may
then satisfy the required condition to turn it on.
(b) When the current through the device is extremely small, the alphas will be very small and the
condition for breakover can be satisfied only by large values of hole multiplication factor Mp and
electron multiplication factor Mn. Near the breakdown voltage of junction J2, the multiplication factors
are very high and the required condition for breakover can be obtained by increasing the voltage across
the device to VBO, which will close the breakdown voltage of junction J2.
(c) The required condition for breakover can also be realized by increasing α1 and α2. If a current Ig is
injected into the base P in the same direction as the current Ia across J2, the current gain of the NPN
transistor can now be increased independently of the anode to cathode voltage Va and current Ia,
because α2 depends on (Ia + Ig) and α1 would still, depend on Ia. The total current gain will now depend
on Ig and independent means of breakover is obtained.
THYRISTOR CONSTRUCTION
The successful and reliable operation of an SCR depends, to a large-extent on the design and fabrication
of the device. The fabrication method chosen for a particular thyristor type therefore depends a great
deal on the service expected from that type.
Basically, the PNPN device is a multilayered “pellet” of alternate P and N type semiconductor material.
This semiconductor is almost always silicon, the other element used being germanium. The pellets may
be fabricated by anyone of the several methods, depending on the desired characteristics, complexity,
and size of the finished device. The most popular pellet fabrication methods are:
(1) Planar diffused (all diffused)

(2) Alloy diffused.
The manufacture of both alloy diffused and all diffused PNPN pellets starts with the preparation of large
area PNP wafers. These are formed by gaseously diffusing P-type impurities simultaneously into both
faces of a thin wafer of Ntype silicon. Where specific device characteristics are required, a second
diffusion step is used to complete the final PNPN structure.
To do this, each PNP wafer is selectively masked on a single side and subsequently diffused
with N-type impurities through the windows in the mask. The finished PNPN wafers are then
diced into individual pellets.
Triacs and other more complex structures are fabricated using similar techniques. In the
manufacture of some higher current SCR’s, where only a limited number of pellets,
sometimes only one, can be obtained from each wafer, the original PNP wafers are pelletised
before adding the final N-region.
Where this is the case, precision alloying techniques are used after pelletising to fuse a gold-
antimony preform into each PNP pellet, thus forming the required PNPN structures.
Alloy-Diffused [Mesa Type]
Planar-Diffused (All Diffused)

Thyristor Principles, Charecteristics Construction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thyristor Principles, Charecteristics Construction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Power Electronics

(AKTU Course Code: KEE603)

Thyristor: Principles, Static Anode–cathode

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF SCR

States of Device in Circuit

Forward blocking state or off-state

Reverse blocking state or off-state

Thyristor- Operation Principle

1. Reverse Blocking Region

2. Forward Blocking Region

3. Forward Conduction Region

States of Device in Circuit

THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

where Ico1 is the reverse leakage

THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

Assuming the leakage current of transistor T1 and

Ia = (α2 Ig) / [1 – (α1 + α2)] (9)

THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

THE TWO-TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

(1) Planar diffused (all diffused)

You might also like