DEE20023

TOPIC 5 :
INTRODUCTION TO OTHER
SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS

Faizah Amir
JKE POLISAS
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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, students should be
able to :
1. know the construction of these semiconductor
components:
a) Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
b) TRIAC
c) DIAC
d) Uni-junction Transistor (UJT)

2. explain the characteristics and application of SCR,

TRIAC, DIAC and UJT
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 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.

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 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

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 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–.
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 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,
RB1
VRB 1  xVBB UJT is switched “OFF” and zero current flows.
RB1  RB 2 When the input voltage is increased more than
ηVBB  + 0.7V, 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
1. SCR and TRIAC are electronic devices that act as a switch which is
cheaper than a relay.

2. DIAC is a bidirectional switching diode that can conduct current from both
polarity of an AC voltage supply.

3. UJT is used as a triggering device for SCR and TRIAC, also as saw-
toothed generators and simple oscillators.

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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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Get ready for your
final exam....
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