Thyristors

ECE 425N

Floyd, Thomas L. Electronic

Devices Electron Flow Version
Ninth Edition. Prentice Hall
Thyristor
Basically a 4-layer device with two terminals, the anode
and cathode
constructed of four semiconductor layers that form a
pnpn structure.
acts as a switch and remains off until the forward
voltage reaches a
certain value; then it turns on and conducts. Conduction
continues until the current is reduced below a specified
value.
Shockley Diode
SUS, is a class of devices constructed of four
semiconductor layers.
Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
4-layer
pnpn
device
similar to
the 4-layer
diode
except
with three
terminals:
anode,
cathode,
and gate.
SCR Equivalent Circuit
Turning the SCR On
SCR Characteristic Curves
Turning the SCR Off
The Light-Activated SCR (LASCR)
four-layer semiconductor
device (thyristor) that
operates essentially as does
the conventional SCR except
that it can also be light-
triggered.
conducts current in one
direction when activated by a
sufficient amount of light and
continues to conduct until the
current falls below a specified
value.
SCR Applications
motor controls
time-delay circuits
heater controls
phase controls
relay controls
and sawtooth generators
On-Off Control of Current
Half-Wave Power Control
Backup Lighting for Power
Interruptions
An Over-Voltage Protection Circuit
Sawtooth Generator
DIAC
two-terminal four-layer semiconductor device (thyristor)
that can conduct current in either direction when
activated.
DIAC Equivalent Circuit and Bias
Conditions
 TRIAC
like a diac with a gate terminal.
an be turned on by a pulse of gate
current and does not require the
breakover voltage to initiate
conduction, as does the diac.
can be thought of simply as two
SCRs connected in parallel and in
opposite directions with a common
gate terminal. Unlike the SCR, it
can conduct current in either
direction when it is triggered on,
depending on the polarity of the
TRIAC Characteristic Curve
Bilateral Operation of a TRIAC
TRIAC Application
SILICON-CONTROLLED SWITCH
(SCS)
four-terminal
thyristor that has
two gate terminals
that are used to
trigger the device
on and off.
SCS Operation
Unijunction Transistor (UJT)
a three-
terminal device
UJT Equivalent Circuit