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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 M Introduction, characteristics and
U control strategies of Modern
E devices
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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 SCR Structure, Symbol and Appearance
A Anode

M P
J1
Low

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Power
N
Gate J2
P

E G
N
J3
Medium

T
Power

K Cathode
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(b) Symbol (c) Appearance
(a) Structure
Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 Thyristor static characteristics

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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 Thyristor static characteristics

Forward Blocking Region

M Forward Conducting Region

U Reverse Blocking Region
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Department
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Engineering
 Dynamic Characteristics of Thyristor

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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 Dynamic Characteristics of
Thyristor
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 (a) Rate of rise of anode voltage dv/dt: It is the slope of the
line showing anode voltage VAK between time t0 and t1. Rapid

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rising of the voltage produces a transient current across junction
J2. This causes false triggering. Typical value of dv/dt rating is
100-300 volts per microseconds.

E  (b) Rate of rise of Anode current di/dt: When gate pulse is

T applied the conduction of anode current starts near the gate

connection and spreads from there across the whole area or the
JAMSHORO junction. If di/dt is large, than a local hot spot will be formed
due to the high current density and may result in failure of
device. Typical value of di/dt rating is 100-500 amps per μs.
Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 Dynamic Characteristics of Thyristor

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 Rate of rise of re-applied voltage dv/dt: It is shown as slope of the
line between time t8 and t9. Turn-off time increases with the increase
of re-applied dv/dt. Re-applied dv/dt is more crucial than initial

U applied dv/dt. This is because the current carriers at the junction take
finite time to recombine naturally and cause the blocking state.

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 Turn on time : The “delay time” td of the anode current is defined
as, the time between 10% point of the leading edge of the gate
current pulse and the 90% point of the anode voltage wave form. The
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rise time tr, of the anode current defined as the time taken by
thyristor voltage VAK to fall from 90% to 10% level. The sum of rise
Department
and delay time is called “Turn on Time” ton of the thyristor. Typical
of value of ton is 1-10 μs.
Electrical
Engineering
 Dynamic Characteristics of Thyristor

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 Turn off time “toff “ is time, which must elapse after forward
current through the thyristor has ceased, before forward voltage

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of specified rate may be re-applied without turn-on. This is
because even when the anode current falls to zero, the current
carriers are present at junction J2, which will not block forward

E voltage unless sufficient time is allowed to let them to

recombine naturally. toff is shown between t7 and t8. Typical

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value of toff is between 3-100 μs.

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Department
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Electrical
Engineering
 M
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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 Two-transistor Model of SCR

M
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JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering
 When switch “S” is closed, Two-transistor
the base emitter junction of
NPN transistor become Model of SCR
forward biased, so that its

M
resistance falls & therefore, its
collector current ic2 increases.

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The first 10% of the rise of
anode current IA is essentially

E the collector current ic2. Since

iB1 = ic2, so the base of PNP
T transistor is charged, which
increases ic1 &inhence
The increase iB2 . lowers the resistance of PNP transistor &
iB2 further
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thereby causing ic2 to increase. Thus a positive feed back is established
& iA goes on increasing, the saturation level is rapidly reached (within
Department
of few micro-seconds) & the anode current iA is only limited by external
Electrical
Engineering load circuit impedance.

Once the SCR is turned on, the gate voltage is no longer needed.
 CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS OF
THYRISTOR

M
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T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering