Thyristor Devices

Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCR)

 Objectives

• Draw and explain the i-v characteristics of a

thyristor.
• Explain the operating principle of a thyristor in
terms of the “two transistor analogy”.
• Draw and explain the switching characteristics of
a thyristor.
SCR
 SCR Thyristor

4500V/800A and 4500V/1500A SCRs

 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Vacuum tube Mercury arc rectifier Thyratron

 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Semiconductor rectifier Power MOSFET, IGBT

Thyristor (SCR), GTO, Triac

 Power Semiconductor Switches

Power Diodes Power Transistors Thyristors

2 layer device 3 layer Device 4 layer Device

• Thyristor devices can convert and control large amounts

of power in AC or DC systems while using very low power
for control.
• Thyristor family includes
1- Silicon controlled Rectifier (SCR)
2- Gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO)
3- Triac
4- Diac
5- Silicon controlled switch (SCS)
6- Mos-controlled switch (MCT)
 Introduction
• SCR is most popular of thyristor family due
to its
• Semi switching action , small size and high
voltage and current ratings.(300V, 25A-----6kV, 4kA)

• SCR has 3 terminals

(gate provides control)

• SCR is turned on by applying +ve gate signal

when anode is +ve with respect to cathode.

• SCR is turned off by interrupting anode PNPN structure Symbol

current.
 Construction
• N1---Thickest and less doped
• P1--- Thicker and less highly doped.
• N2---Very thin and highly doped
• P2---Same as P1
Junction J3 has low breakdown voltage in either
direction.
 Operation of SCR

• The SCR has two states: a high-current low-

impedance ON state and a low-current high-
impedance OFF state.

• The basic transistor action in a four-layer p–n–p–n

structure is analysed first with only two terminals,
and then the third control input is introduced.
Ideal Characteristic Of SCR
 Physical Operation and Characteristics:
• The physical operation of the SCR can be explained clearly with
reference to the current–voltage characteristics.
• Forward blocking
Forward Conduction
Reverse blocking
 SCR in Forward Bias:
• There are two different states in which we can examine the
SCR in the forward-biased condition:
(i) The high- impedance or forward-blocking state
(ii)Transition State
(iii) The low-impedance or forward-conducting state

• At a critical peak forward voltage VBO, the SCR switches from the
blocking state to the conducting state
• A positive voltage places junction j1 and j3 under forward-bias,
and the center junction j2 under reverse-bias.
• The forward voltage in the blocking state appears across the
reverse-biased junction j2 as the applied voltage V is increased.
• The voltage from the anode A to cathode C, as shown in Fig. 8-1, is
very small after switching to the forward-conducting state, and all
three junctions are forward-biased. The junction j2 switches from
reverse-bias to forward-bias..
 I–V Characteristics of the SCR:
• Forward-Blocking State:
When the device is biased in the forward-blocking state, as shown in
Fig. 8-4(a), the applied voltage appears primarily across the reverse-
biased junction j2. Although the junctions j1 and j3 are forward-
biased, the current is small.
Forward-Conducting State of the SCR
• As the value of (α1 + α2 ) approaches unity through one of the
mechanisms ,many holes injected at j1 survive to be swept
across j2 into p2.
• This process helps feed the recombination in p2 and support
the injection of holes into n2.
• In a similar manner, the transistor action of electrons injected
at j3 and collected at j2 supplies electrons for n1.
• The current through the device can be much larger.
 SCR in Reverse Bias:

• In the reverse-blocking state the junctions j1 and j3 are reverse-

biased, and j2 is forward-biased.

• The supply of electrons and holes to junction j2 is restricted, and

due to the thermal generation of electron–hole pairs near
junctions j1 and j2 the device current is a small saturation
current.
• In the reverse blocking condition the current remains small until
avalanche breakdown occurs at a large reverse-bias of several
thousand volts.
 Reverse-Blocking State of the SCR:
• The SCR in reverse-biased condition allows almost negligible
current to flow through it. This is shown in Fig. 8-4(c).
• In the reverse-blocking state of the SCR, a small saturation
current flows from anode to cathode. Holes will flow from the gate into p2, the base of
the n–p–n transistor, due to positive gate current.
• The required gate current for turn-on is only a few milli-amperes,
therefore, the SCR can be turned on by a very small amount of power in the gate.
 I–V Characteristics of the SCR:
• As shown in Fig. 8-5, if the gate I–V Characteristics of the SCR:
current is 0 mA, the critical voltage is higher, i.e.,
the SCR requires more voltage to switch to the
conducting state.
• But as the value of gate current
increases, the critical voltage becomes lower, and
the SCR switches to the conducting state at a
lower voltage.
• At the higher gate current IG2, the SCR
switches faster than at the lower gate current IG1,
because IG2 > IG1.
(b) i-v characteristics

Ih----10mA, Ig---20 to 200mA, Ih<Il: VBRF>>VBRR

Trigger with gate
SCR Characteristic Curve
 Parameters
 Forward breakover voltage VBO
◦ The voltage of avalanche breakdown during Forward mode
 Latching current IL
◦ The minimum anode current required to maintain the thyristor in
the on-state immediately after it is turned on and the gate signal has
been removed
 Holding current IH
◦ The minimum anode current to maintain the thyristor in the on-state,
less than which the SCR is turned off
 IL > IH
 ON State voltage drop
Voltage across the SCR when it is on.Its very low compared to forward
blocking voltage.
 Forward leakage current
Small current flowing in the forward direction in OFF state .
Depends upon the minority cariers therefore depends on temperature.
Two Transistor Model Of SCR
 Two Transistor Model Of SCR

• Gate requires small positive pulse for short duration to

turn SCR on. Once the device is on, the gate signal serves
no useful purpose and can be removed.
 I C1 =I b2 I e1  I b1  I c1

I b1 =I c2 I c1  1 I e1  I cbo1
Ebers-Moll Equation
I k  I b1  I c1
I b1  I c 2  I g
I k  I c 2  I g  I c1
I k  I c1  I g  I c 2
Ik  Ia  I g
Ib 2  Ie2  Ic 2
I c 2   2 I a  I cb 02
I b 2  (1   2 ) I a  I cb 02
I c1 =α1I k +I cbo1
 Quantitative description of thyristor operation :

α1I g +I cbo1  I cb 02
Ia =
1  (1   2 )

Positive feedback or regenerative fb results in large Ia

Blocking state, IG=0, α1+α2 is small;
On-state, IG >0, α1+α2 will approach 1, and IA will be very large.
 Switching/Dynamic
Characteristics of SCR
On and off state resistance

In the conducting region, the dynamic

resistance of the SCR is 0.01 to 0.1ohms and
the reverse resistance is 100 kohms or more.
Two conditions of thyristor triggered into on- state:
 The device is in its forward-blocking state;
 Applying a pulse of positive gate current for a short
duration.

The turning-off of thyristor:

decrease the anode current(IA), when IA <IH , SCR will turn
off, usually apply reverse voltage for a short duration.

Other methods to trigger thyristor on ：

a) High voltage across anode and cathode——avalanche breakdown
b) High rising rate of anode voltage ——dv/dt too high
c) High junction temperature
d) Light activation---Used in HVDC
 Turn on characteristics of thyristor
• When a positive gate signal is applied to a forward biased SCR, the transition of
SCR from blocking state to conducting state is called as turn ON mechanism.
• The time taken for SCR to traverse from the blocking state to conducting state is
called as turn on time.
• Turn on time is divided into 3 periods.
tON = td + tr + tp
td = delay time, tp or ts = peak time (or) spread time
• when the gate current reaches 0.9IG the anode current IA starts increasing and
reaches 0.1IA (10% of its max value)
• The time taken for anode current to reach 0.1IA is called as delay time(td).
• In other words, it is the time taken for anode voltage to fall from VA to 0.9VA
• The anode current further increases and reaches 0.9IA.
• The time taken by the anode current to increases from 0.1IA to 0.9IA is called as
rise time(tr).
• In other words, it is the time taken by the anode voltage to fall from 0.9VA to
0.1VA
Spread Time or Peak time (ts or tp)

• It is time taken by the anode current to rise from ( 0.9IA to maximum value of
IA) 90% to 100% of its full value. (or)
• It is the time taken by VA to fall from 0.1VA to it's ON state voltage drop(near
by zero).
• During this time the conduction spreads over the entire cross-section of
cathode and so electrons spread over all the junctions.

Ton ----1 to 4 us , tg----20 to 100us

 Turn off characteristics of thyristor

Turning OFF an SCR means bringing the SCR from conducting state to blocking state.

• To turn off an SCR two things are to be done

(1) Reduce the anode current below its holding current level.
(2) Application of reverse voltage.

• When the anode current is zero, if we apply forward voltage to the SCR, the device will not
be able to block this forward voltage due to the fact that excess charge carriers are still at
the junctions, so the device will start conducting even when the gate signal is not applied.

• In order to avoid this, reverse biasing of SCR is done to remove the excess charge carriers
from all four layers.

• The turn OFF time is defined as the time from the instant the anode current becomes zero
to the instant SCR reaches its forward blocking ability.
•
Turn off time tOFF = trr + tgr
trr = Reverse recovery time
tgr =Gate recovery time
Reverse recovery process is the removal of excessive charge carries from the top and bottom layers of SCR.
• Reverse recovery current removes the excessive carriers from junctions J1 and J3 during the
time t1 to t3

• After t1; IA build up in the reverse direction, due to the charge carriers stored in the four
layers.

• At t2: When nearly 60% of charges are removed from the outer two layers, the reverse
recovery current decreases.

• This decaying causes a reverse voltage to be applied across the SCR.

• At t3 all excessive carriers from J1 and J3 is removed.

• The reverse voltage across SCR removes the excessive carriers from junction J2.

• Gate recovery process is the removal of excessive carriers from J2 junction by application
of reverse voltage.

• Time taken for removal of trapped charges from J2 is called gate recovery time(tgr).
• At t4 all the carriers are removed and the device moves to the forward blocking mode.
Types of thyristor

 Converter grade SCRs (phase-control

thyristors) - trr---50 to 100 us
 Inverter-grade SCRs- trr---10 to 50us

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Specifications of thyristor
Average on- state current IT(AV)
Holding current IH
Latching up current IL
Peak forward surge current ITSM
du/dt
di/dt

Peak repetitive forward blocking voltage

Peak repetitive reverse blocking voltage
Peak on-state voltage voltage ratings
 SCR Ratings
(a) SCR Current Ratings
1- Maximum Repetitive RMS current Rating
• Average on-state current is the maximum average current value that can be carried by the
SCR in its on state.
• RMS value of nonsinusoidal waveform is simplified by approximating it by rectangular
waveform.
• This approximation give higher RMS value, but leaves slight safety factor.
• Average value of pulse is

• Form factor is
• Knowing the form factor for given waveform, RMS current can be
obtained from

I =fo(I )
RMS AVE

• Maximum repetitive RMS current is given by

I =fo(I )
T(RMS) T(AVE)

• Conduction angle verses form factor

Conduction angle (θ) Form factor (fo)

20° 5.0
40° 3.5
60° 2.7
80° 2.3
100° 2.0
120° 1.8
140° 1.6
160° 1.4
180° 1.3
 Conduction Angle

• Duration for which SCR is on. It is measured as

shown
Surge Current Rating
Peak anode current that SCR can handle for brief
duration.

Latching current
Minimum anode current that must flow through the SCR
in order for it to stay on initially after gate signal is
removed.

Holding Current
Minimum value of anode current, required to maintain
SCR in conducting state.
 (b) SCR Voltage Ratings
Peak repetitive forward blocking voltage
Maximum instantaneous voltage that SCR can block in
forward direction.

Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage

Maximum instantaneous voltage that SCR can
withstand, without breakdown, in reverse direction.

Non-repetitive peak reverse voltage

Maximum transient reverse voltage that SCR can
withstand.
 (c) SCR Rate-of-Change Ratings
di/dt rating
• Critical rate of rise of on-state current.
• It is the rate at which anode current increases and must be less than rate at which
conduction area increases.
• To prevent damage to SCR by high di/dt value, small inductance is added in series
with device. Vaue of required inductance is
L>= Vp
(di/dt)max

dv/dt rating
Maximum rise time of a voltage pulse that can be applied to the SCR in the off state
without causing it to fire.
Unscheduled firing due to high value of dv/dt can be prevented by using RC snubber
circuit.
 (d) Gate Parameters
1- Maximum Gate Peak Inverse Voltage
Maximum value of negative DC voltage that can be applied without damaging the gate-cathode junction.

2-Maximum Gate Trigger Current

Maximum DC gate current allowed to turn on the device.

3- Maximum gate trigger voltage

DC voltage necessary to produce maximum gate trigger current.

4- Maximum Gate Power Dissipation

Maximum instantaneous product of gate current and gate voltage that can exist during forward-bias.

5- Minimum gate trigger voltage

Minimum DC gate-to-cathode voltage required to trigger the SCR.

6-Minimum gate trigger current

Minimum DC gate current necessary to turn SCR on.
 SCR Thyristor
• Main Specifications
12000V/1500A SCR Thyristor
Maximum V DRM V RRM I TAVM I TRMS -
Rating 12000V 12000V 1500A 2360A -
Turn-on Turn-off diT /dt dvT /dt Q rr
Switching Time Time
Characteristics t on  14 s t off  1200 s 100 A /  s 2000V /  s 7000 C
V DRM – Repetitive peak off-state voltage V RRM – Repetitive peak reverse voltage
I TAVM – Maximum average on-state current I RRMS – Maximum rms on-state current

t rr I rr
Qrr  – Reverse recovery Charge Part number – FT1500AU-240 (Mitsubishi)
2
•
HEATSINK REQUIREMENTS:

SCR's emit about 1.5 watts of energy in the form of heat, per
ampere conducted.
• Failure to dissipate this energy is perhaps one of the main sources of
SCR failure.
• The reliability of SCR's decreases about 50% for every 10°C
increase of semiconductor temperature.
• Other critical parameters such as the dv/dt (See glossary) rating and
the blocking voltage rating also decrease rapidly with temperature.
• The heat generated by the SCR must be dissipated, thus,
all controllers have some means to cool the SCR's.

• Typically an aluminum heatsink, with fins to increase

the surface area, is used to dissipate this energy to air.

• Controllers with relatively small current capacities rely

on natural convection.

• Higher current capacity controllers use a fan to force air

past the fins in order to increase heat dissipation.