 Thyristor

 GTO

 BJT

 MOSFET

 IGBT
 The thyristor is a switch containing four layer, three internal PN
junctions in series.

 When the anode is negative with respect to the cathode, the center
junction is forward biased, but the two outer junctions are reversed
biased.

 Therefore a thyristor blocks the flow of reverse current until the

breakdown voltage of the two other junctions is exceeded.

 If the anode is positive with respect to the cathode, the two outer
junctions are forward biased but the center junction is reverse
biased.

 Therefore forward current is also blocked until the breakdown

voltage of the center junction is exceeded.
 However, the third terminal of a thyristor is connected to the P layer
adjoining the cathode N layer.

 If this terminal is made positive with respect to the cathode, forward

current flows across the cathode PN junction.

 If the anode terminal is also positive, this forward current across the
cathode junction initiates a regenerative internal action which then
permits current flow across the reverse biased center junction.

 In other words, this third terminal allows the thyristor to be turned

on.

 Because of the control which this terminal exercises over current

flow, it is known as the “gate”.
1-Reverse
blocking mode
2-forward
blocking mode
3-forward
conduction mode
 Forward voltage triggering

 Gate triggering

 dv/dt triggering

 Thermal triggering

 Light triggering
 di/dt protection-protection against localized heating due to
high rate of rise of anode current

 dv/dt protection-if the rate of rise of suddenly applied

voltage across thyristor is high the device may get turned on.
Such phenomenon is called dv/dt turn on and must be avoided
as it leads to false operation of thyristor circuit
 In conventional thyristors, gate loses control once they are in
on state.

 This shortcoming of thyristor can be removed by using GTO.

 A GTO is a pn-pn device that can be turned on by a positive

gate current and turned off by a negative gate current at its
gate cathode terminal
 Turn on process of GTO is similar to conventional
SCR.

 Turn off process in GTO is quite different from that in

conventional SCR.

 Two transistor is analysed for understanding the turn

off process in a GTO .
 Two transistor model of GTO with negative pulse