THYRISTORS

Industrial Electronics
Shockley Diode
Thyristor
 The Shockley diode (named after physicist
William Shockley) is a four-layer
semiconductor diode, which was one of the
first semiconductor devices invented. It is a
PNPN diode, with alternating layers of P-type
and N-type material. It is equivalent to a
thyristor with a disconnected gate. Shockley
diodes were manufactured and marketed by
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in the late
1950s. The Shockley diode has a negative
resistance characteristic.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
How does it work?

• Unlike other semiconductor diodes, the Shockley diode

has more than one PN junction. The construction includes
four sections of semiconductors placed alternately
between the anode and cathode in the pattern of PNPN.
Though it has multiple junctions, it is termed a diode for
being a two-terminal device.
How does it work?
• The Shockley diode remains in an OFF state, with a very high resistance,
until a voltage greater than the trigger voltage is applied across its terminals.
When the voltage exceeds the trigger value, the resistance drops to an
extremely low value and the device switches ON. The constituent transistors
help in maintaining the ON and OFF states. As the construction resembles a
pair of interconnected bipolar transistors, one PNP and other NPN, neither
transistor can turn ON until the other is turned ON due to the absence of any
current through the base-emitter junction. Once sufficient voltage is applied
and one of the transistors breaks down, it starts conducting and allows base
current to flow through the other transistor, resulting in saturation of both the
transistors, keeping both in ON state.
VI Characteristic Curve
Usage
• Trigger switch for silicon controlled rectifier
• Relaxation oscillator / sawtooth oscillator
• Audio amplifier
Silicon-Controlled Rectifier
Thyristor
A silicon controlled rectifier or semiconductor controlled
rectifier is a four-layer solid-state current-controlling
device. The name "silicon controlled rectifier" is General
Electric's trade name for a type of thyristor. The principle
of four-layer p–n–p–n switching was developed by Moll,
Tanenbaum, Goldey and Holonyak of Bell Laboratories in
1956.The practical demonstration of silicon controlled
switching and detailed theoretical behavior of a device in
agreement with the experimental results was presented
by Dr Ian M. Mackintosh of Bell Laboratories in January
1958.The SCR was developed by a team of power
engineers led by Gordon Hall[4] and commercialized by
Frank W. "Bill" Gutzwiller in 1957.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
MODES OF OPERATION
Forward blocking mode
• In this mode of operation, the anode (+) is
given a positive voltage while the cathode (−)
is given a negative voltage, keeping the gate
at zero (0) potential i.e. disconnected. In this
case junction J1and J3 are forward-biased,
while J2 is reverse-biased, allowing only a
small leakage current from the anode to the
cathode. When the applied voltage reaches
the breakover value for J2, then J2 undergoes
avalanche breakdown. At this breakover
voltage J2 starts conducting, but below
breakover voltage J2 offers very high
resistance to the current and the SCR is said
to be in the off state.
Forward conduction mode

• An SCR can be brought from blocking

mode to conduction mode in two ways:
Either by increasing the voltage
between anode and cathode beyond
the breakover voltage, or by applying a
positive pulse at the gate. Once the
SCR starts conducting, no more gate
voltage is required to maintain it in the
ON state. The minimum current
necessary to maintain the SCR in the
ON state on removal of the gate voltage
is called the latching current.
Reverse blocking mode
• When a negative voltage is applied to the anode and a
positive voltage to the cathode, the SCR is in reverse
blocking mode, making J1 and J3 reverse biased and
J2 forward biased. The device behaves as two diodes
connected in series. A small leakage current flows. This
is the reverse blocking mode. If the reverse voltage is
increased, then at critical breakdown level, called the
reverse breakdown voltage (VBR), an avalanche occurs
at J1 and J3 and the reverse current increases rapidly.
SCRs are available with reverse blocking capability,
which adds to the forward voltage drop because of the
need to have a long, low-doped P1 region. Usually, the
reverse blocking voltage rating and forward blocking
voltage rating are the same. The typical application for a
reverse blocking SCR is in current-source inverters.
VI Characteristic Curve
Applications
SCRs are mainly used in devices where the control of high power, possibly
coupled with high voltage, is demanded. Their operation makes them suitable
for use in medium- to high-voltage AC power control applications, such as lamp
dimming, power regulators and motor control.

SCRs and similar devices are used for rectification of high-power AC in high-
voltage dc power transmission. They are also used in the control of welding
machines, mainly GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) and similar processes. It is
used as switch in various devices. Early Solid-State Pinball machines made use
of these to control lights, solenoids, and other functions digitally, instead of
mechanically, hence the name, Solid-state.
DIAC
Thyristor
The DIAC (diode for alternating current) is a
diode that conducts electrical current only
after its breakover voltage, VBO, has been
reached momentarily. Three four and five
layer structures may be used Behavior is
similar to the voltage breakdown of a triac
without a gate terminal.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
Most DIACs have a three-layer structure with breakover
voltage of approximately 30 V and on a voltage of less than 3 V.
Their behavior is analogous to the striking and extinction
voltages of a neon lamp, but it can be more repeatable and
takes place at a lower voltages.

DIACs have no gate or trigger electrode, unlike some other

thyristors that they are commonly used to trigger, such as
TRIACs. Some TRIACs, like Quadrac, contain a built-in DIAC
in series with the TRIAC's gate terminal for this purpose.

DIACs are also called "symmetrical trigger diodes" due to the

symmetry of their characteristic curve. Because DIACs are
bidirectional devices, their terminals are not labeled as anode
and cathode but as A1 and A2 or main terminal MT1 and MT2.
VI Characteristic Curve
Applications

DIACS and SIDACS are often used to deliver a pulse once

a capacitor has charged to the breakdown voltage, giving
both controlled delay set by the charging resistor and a
fixed pulse energy set by the capacitor and breakdown
voltage . This is common in simple phase angle controls for
AC lamp dimmers and motor speed controls. They may also
be used to sense over-voltage fault conditions to provide a
'crowbar' function to operate a fuse or a latching alarm that
can only be reset by removing the supply.
TRIAC
Thyristor
 A TRIAC (triode for alternating
current; also bidirectional triode
thyristor or bilateral triode
thyristor is a three terminal
electronic component that
conducts current in either
direction when triggered. The
term TRIAC is a genericised
trademark.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
TRIACs are a subset of thyristors (analogous to a
relay in that a small voltage and current can
control a much larger voltage and current) and are
related to silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).
TRIACs differ from SCRs in that they allow current
flow in both directions, whereas an SCR can only
conduct current in a single direction. Most TRIACs
can be triggered by applying either a positive or
negative voltage to the gate (an SCR requires a
positive voltage). Once triggered, SCRs and
TRIACs continue to conduct, even if the gate
current ceases, until the main current drops below
a certain level called the holding current.
VI Characteristic Curve
LASCR
Thyristor
Light activated SCR (LASCR) or a Photo SCR is just an
ordinary SCR except that it can also be light triggered.
Most LASCRs also have a gate terminal for being
triggered by an elec-trical pulse just as a conventional
SCR. The basic construction of an LASCR is shown in
figure. The schematic symbols most commonly used for
the LASCR are shown in figure. Some LASCRs have
clear windows in their cases so that light sources from
other devices can be cou-pled to them. Many have the
light source encapsu-lated in the same package so that
a relay is formed. When the light falling on depletion
layers is strong enough, valence electrons are dislodged
from their orbits and become free electrons. When these
free electrons flow out of the collector of one, transistor
into the base of the other.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
Applications

The LASCRs find many applications including optical light

controls, relays, phase control, motor control and a large
number of computer applications. The maximum current
(rms) and power (gate) ratings for LASCRs commercially
avail-able are about 3 A and 0.1 W. With the increase in
junction temperature the light energy required to activate
the device is reduced.
SUS
Thyristor
The Silicon Unilateral Switch is a
device of the thyristor family and is
used as a trigger element in circuits
using SCRs. The SUS is an SCR
with an anode gate and a built-in
zener diode
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL
Application

Silicon unilateral switches are not

common devices today. They can
sometimes be found in circuits using
SCRs as a trigger element.

The applications using only an SUS

as core of any project are rare.
SBS
Thyristor
Silicon bilateral switch (SBS) is another
breakover device which is capable of triggering
triacs, and it is popular in low-voltage trigger
control circuits. They have breakover voltages
lower than those for diacs, ± 8 V being the
most popular rating. V-I characteristic curve of
an SBS is similar to that of the diac, but it has
more pronounced “negative resistance” region
i.e., its decline in voltage is more drastic after it
enters the conducting state.
SCHEMATIC SYMBOL