LECTURE 17 (Ch.

7)
THYRISTORS (SCRs)
MCT 4333
Power Electronics
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Introduction

Thyristors are one of the most important types

of power semiconductor devices.

They are operated as bistable switches, operating

from nonconducting state to conducting state.

Thyristors can be assumed as ideal switches for

many applications.
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In reality, thyristors exhibit certain characteristics,

and they have some limitations.

Conventional thyristors are designed without

gate-controlled turn-off capability.

The thyristor will turn off when the current is

brought to zero.

Gate turn-off thyristors (GTO) are designed to have

controlled turn-on and controlled turn-off capability.

Thyristors have lower on-state conduction losses and

higher power handling capability compared to
transistors.

However, transistors have higher switching speeds

and lower switching losses.

Thyristor Characteristics

A thyristor is a four-layer semiconductor device

of pnpn structure with three pn junctions.

The following figure shows the thyristor symbol

and the sectional view of the three pn junctions.

When the anode voltage is positive with respect to

cathode, the junctions J1 and J3 are forward-biased.

However, the junction J2 is reverse-biased.

Only a small leakage current flows from anode to

cathode.

Thyristor is in forward blocking or off state.

If the anode-to-cathode voltage VAK is increased

to a sufficiently large value, the reverse-biased
junction will break.

This is known as the avalanche breakdown and

the corresponding voltage is called forward
breakover voltage VBO.
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Since J1 and J3 are already forward biased, there will

be free movement of carriers across all three
junctions, resulting in a large forward anode
current.

The device will be in a conducting state or on-state.

The voltage drop would be due to the ohmic drop

in four layers and it is small, typically 1V.

In the on-state, the current is limited by the

external impedance.

The current must be greater than the latching

current in order for the device to conduct;
otherwise, the device will go into the blocking
mode as the anode-cathode voltage is reduced.
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If the current is reduced below a value which is

known as the holding current the thyristor will
go into the blocking state.

The holding current is in the range of

milliamperes.

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When the cathode voltage is positive with respect to

the anode, the junctions J1 and J3 are reversed-biased
and J2 is forward-biased.

This is like two series-connected diodes being

reverse-biased.

The reverse leakage current is known as the reverse

current IR.
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A thyristor can be turned on by increasing the

forward voltage beyond VBO, but such a turn on
can destroy the thyristor.

In practice, the forward voltage is maintained

below VBO and the thyristor is turned on by
applying a positive voltage between its gate and
cathode.
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This was shown on the previous figure by dashed

lines.

Once a thyristor is turned on by a gating signal,

the device continues even if the gate signal is
removed.

Therefore, a thyristor is a latching device.

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Two Transistor Model of Thyristor

The latching action can be demonstrated by

using a two-transistor model of thyristor.

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The collector current IC of a thyristor is related to the emitter

current IE and the leakage current of the collector-base junction,
ICBO.

I C = I E + I CBO

The common-base current gain is defined as:

IC
=
IE
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Therefore,

I C1 = 1I A + I CBO1
I C 2 = 2 I K + I CBO 2
I A = I C1 + I C 2 = 1 I A + I CBO1 + 2 I K + I CBO 2

(1)
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But,

I K = I A + IG

( 2)

Substituting (2) into (1) and solving for IA:

2 I G + I CBO1 + I CBO 2
IA =
1 ( 1 + 2 )
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The varies with the emitter current, and the

variation is shown below.

If
, then the denominator will
1 + 2 1
approach 0 and IA will be infinite.

Consequently, the thyristor will turn on.

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Under transient conditions, the capacitances of

the pn junctions will influence the characteristics
of the thyristor.

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If a thyristor is in a blocking state, a rapidly rising

voltage applied across the device would cause
high current flow through the junction capacitors.

If the dv/dt is large, ij2 would be large and this

would result in increased leakage current ICBO1
and ICBO2.

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The high value of the leakage currents may

cause 1 + 2 to approach unity and turn the
device on.

This large current through the junction

capacitors may damage the device.

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Thyristor Turn-On

A thyristor is turned on by increasing the anode

current.

This is accomplished in one of the following

ways.

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Thermals

If the temperature of a thyristor is high, there will be

an increase in the number of electron-hole pairs.

This will increase 1 and 2 and the thyristor may be

turned on.

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Light

If light is allowed to strike the junction, the electronhole pairs will increase and the thyristor may be
turned on.

The light activated thyristors (LASCR) are turned on

by allowing light to strike the silicon wafer.

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High Voltage

If the forward anode-to-cathode voltage is greater than

the VBO, the thyristor will turn on.

dv/dt

If the rate-of-rise of the anode-cathode voltage is high,

the charging current of the capacitive junctions will turn
on the thyristor

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Gate Current

If a thyristor is forward biased, the injection of the

gate current by applying a positive gate voltage
between the gate and the cathode terminals would
turn on the thyristor.

The following figure shows the effects of the gate

current on forward blocking voltage.

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The following points should be considered in

designing the gate control circuit.

The gate signal should be removed after the thyristor is

turned on. A continuous gating signal would increase the
power loss in the gate junction.

While the thyristor is reversed biased, there should be no

gate signal; otherwise, the thyristor may fail due to an
increased leakage current.

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The width of gate pulse tG must be longer than the time

required for the anode current to rise to the holding
current value IH. In practice, the pulse width is made more
than the turn-on time ton of the thyristor.

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Thyristor Turn-Off

A thyristor which is in the on-state can be turned

off by reducing the forward current to a level
below the holding current.

In a line-commutated converter circuit where the

input voltage is alternating, a reverse voltage
appears across the thyristor immediately after the
forward current goes through the zero value.
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The turn-off time tq is the minimum value of

time interval between the instant when the on
state current has decreased to zero and the
instant when the thyristor is capable of
withstanding forward voltage without turning on.

A forced-commutated circuit is shown next.

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