MIRPUR UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

(MUST), MIRPUR
MIRPUR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
 Power Electronics
ET-245

Lecture [4] :Power semiconductor devices(Cont….)

Dr.Tasleem Kausar
(Lecturer)

June, 2020
 Table of contents
1 • Introduction
2 • Classifications of Power Switches
3 • Power Diodes
4 • Thyristors (SCRs)
5 • The Triac
6 • The Gate Turn-Off Thyristor (GTO)
7 • Insulated Gate-Commutated Thyristor (IGCT)
8 • The MOS-Controlled Thyristor
9 • Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)
10 • MOSFET
11 • IGBT
3
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Thyristors ( Silicon Controlled Rectifiers “SCRs”)
Thyristor TURN-OFF
• Thyristor cannot be turned off by applying negative gate current. It can only
be turned off if IA goes negative (reverse). This happens when negative
portion of the of sine-wave occurs (natural commutation),
• Another method of turning off is known as “forced commutation”, The
anode current is “diverted” to another circuitry.

Types of Phase controlled

- Rectifying line frequency voltage and current for ac and dc motor
Thyristors drives.
- Large voltage (up to 7kV) and current (up to 5kA) capability.
- Low on-state voltage drop (1.5 to 3V).
Inverter grade
- Used in inverter and chopper.
- Quite fast. Can be turned-on using “force-commutation” method.

Light activated
- Similar to phase controlled, but triggered by pulse of light.
- Normally very high power ratings.
TRIAC
- Dual polarity thyristors.

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The Triac (triode for alternating current)
The Triac is a member of the thyristor family which can conduct in
both directions (bidirectional semi-controlled device). Thus a Triac
is similar to two back to back (anti parallel) connected thyristosr
but with only three terminals.

The Triac extensively used in residential lamp dimmers, heater

control and for speed control of small single phase series and
induction motors.

The conduction of a triac is initiated by injecting a current pulse

into the gate terminal. The triac turns off only when the current
through the main terminals become zero.

As the Triac can conduct in both the directions the terms “anode”
and “cathode” are not used for Triacs. The three terminals are
marked as MT1 (Main Terminal 1), MT2 (Main Terminal 2) and the
gate by G.

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 The Triac (triode for alternating current)
Since a Triac is a bidirectional device and can have its terminals at various combinations
of positive and negative voltages, there are four possible electrode potential combinations
as given below
• MT2 positive with respect to MT1, G positive with respect to MT1.
• MT2 positive with respect to MT1, G negative with respect to MT1.
• MT2 negative with respect to MT1, G negative with respect to MT1.
• MT2 negative with respect to MT1, G positive with respect to MT1.

In trigger mode-1 the gate current flows

mainly through the P2 N2 junction like an
ordinary thyristor. When the gate current
has injected sufficient charge into P2 layer
the Triac starts conducting through the P1
N1 P2 N2 layers like an ordinary thyristor.

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The Gate Turn-Off Thyristor (GTO)
The GTO thyristor is a device that A (Anode)
operates similar to a normal thyristor Ia
except the device physics, design and
manufacturing features allow it to be +
turned-off by a negative gate current V ak
which is accomplished through the use of _
a bipolar transistor. I
g
K (Cathode)
Turning off is difficult. Need very large GTO: Symbol
reverse gate current (normally 1/5 of anode
current).
Ia

Gate drive design is very difficult due to Ig>0 Ig=0

very large reverse gate current at turn off. Ih
Vr Ibo

Ratings: Highest power switch: V bo V ak

ratings Voltage: Vak<5kV; Ia<5kA.
Current:
Frequency<5KHz. v-i characteristics
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Insulated Gate-Commutated Thyristor
(IGCT)
Conducts like normal thyristor (latching), but can
be turned off using gate signal, similar to IGBT
turn off; 20V is sufficent.

Ia

+
V ak IGCT
_
Power switch is integrated with the gate-drive
unit.
I
g
K (Cathode)

Ratings:
Voltage: Vak<6.5kV; Current:
Ia<4kA. Frequency<1KHz.
Currently 10kV device is being developed.
Very low on state voltage: 2.7V for 4kA
device

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The MOS-Controlled Thyristor

The MCT is a hybrid or double

mechanism device that was designed
to have a control port of a MOSFET
and a power port of a thyristor.

The characteristics of MCT are

similar to the GTO, except that the
gate drive circuitry for the MCT is
less complicated than the design for
a GTO as the control circuit of the
MCT uses a MOSFET instead of a
transistor.

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THANKS