Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) The SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER, usually referred to as an SCR, is one of the family of semiconductors

that includes transistors and diodes ! dra"in# of an SCR and its schematic re$resentation is sho"n in %ie"s ! and & of fi#ure '()* Not all SCRs use the casin# sho"n, +ut this is ty$ical of most of the hi#h($o"er units Fi#ure '()*! ( Silicon controlled rectifier

Fi#ure '()*&

( Silicon controlled rectifier

!lthou#h it is not the same as either a diode or a transistor, the SCR com+ines features of +oth Circuits usin# transistors or rectifier diodes may +e #reatly im$ro%ed in some instances throu#h the use of SCRs The +asic $ur$ose of the SCR is to function as a s"itch that can turn on or off small or lar#e amounts of $o"er It $erforms this function "ith no mo%in# $arts that "ear out and no $oints that re,uire re$lacin# There can +e a tremendous $o"er #ain in the SCR- in some units a %ery small tri##erin# current is a+le to s"itch se%eral hundred am$eres "ithout e.ceedin# its rated a+ilities The SCR can often re$lace much slo"er and lar#er mechanical s"itches It e%en has many ad%anta#es o%er its more com$le. and lar#er electron tu+e e,ui%alent, the thyratron The SCR is an e.tremely fast s"itch It is difficult to cycle a mechanical s"itch se%eral hundred times a minute- yet, some SCRs can +e s"itched /0,111 times a second It ta2es 3ust microseconds (millionths of a second) to turn on or off these units 4aryin# the time that a s"itch is on as com$ared to the time that it is off re#ulates the amount of $o"er flo"in# throu#h the s"itch Since most de%ices can o$erate on $ulses of $o"er (alternatin# current is a s$ecial form of alternatin# $ositi%e and ne#ati%e $ulse), the SCR can +e used readily in control a$$lications 5otor(s$eed controllers, in%erters, remote s"itchin# units, controlled rectifiers, circuit o%erload $rotectors, latchin# relays, and com$uter lo#ic circuits all use the SCR The SCR is made u$ of four layers of semiconductor material arran#ed 6N6N The construction is sho"n in %ie" ! of fi#ure '()7 In function, the SCR has much in common "ith a diode, +ut the theory of o$eration of the SCR is +est e.$lained in terms of transistors Fi#ure '()7! ( SCR structure

Consider the connected as 6(layer- the terminal, 8, Fi#ure '()7&

SCR as a transistor $air, one 6N6 and the other N6N, sho"n in %ie"s & and C The anode is attached to the u$$er cathode, C, is $art of the lo"er N(layer- and the #ate #oes to the 6(layer of the N6N triode ( SCR structure

Fi#ure '()7C

( SCR structure

In o$eration the collector of 9/ dri%es the +ase of 9), "hile the collector of 9) feeds +ac2 to the +ase of 9/ (&eta) ) is the current #ain of 9), and (&eta ) / is the current #ain of 9/ The #ain of this $ositi%e feed+ac2 loo$ is their $roduct, ) times / :hen the $roduct is less than one, the circuit is sta+le- if the $roduct is #reater than unity, the circuit is re#enerati%e ! small ne#ati%e current a$$lied to terminal 8 "ill +ias the N6N transistor into cutoff, and the loo$ #ain is less than unity ;nder these conditions, the only current that can e.ist +et"een out$ut terminals ! and C is the %ery small cutoff

collector current of the t"o transistors +et"een ! and C is %ery hi#h

For this reason the im$edance

:hen a $ositi%e current is a$$lied to terminal 8, transistor 9/ is +iased into conduction, causin# its collector current to rise Since the current #ain of 9/ increases "ith increased collector current, a $oint (called the +rea2o%er $oint) is reached "here the loo$ #ain e,uals unity and the circuit +ecomes re#enerati%e !t this $oint, collector current of the t"o transistors ra$idly increases to a %alue limited only +y the e.ternal circuit &oth transistors are dri%en into saturation, and the im$edance +et"een ! and C is %ery lo" The $ositi%e current a$$lied to terminal 8, "hich ser%ed to tri##er the self( re#enerati%e action, is no lon#er re,uired since the collector of 6N6 transistor 9) no" su$$lies more than enou#h current to dri%e 9/ The circuit "ill remain on until it is turned off +y a reduction in the collector current to a %alue +elo" that necessary to maintain conduction The characteristic cur%e for the SCR is sho"n in fi#ure '()< :ith no #ate current, the lea2a#e current remains %ery small as the for"ard %olta#e from cathode to anode is increased until the +rea2do"n $oint is reached =ere the center 3unction +rea2s do"n, the SCR +e#ins to conduct hea%ily, and the dro$ across the SCR +ecomes %ery lo" Fi#ure '()< ( Characteristic cur%e for an SCR

The effect of a #ate si#nal on the firin# of an SCR is sho"n in fi#ure '(/1 &rea2do"n of the center 3unction can +e achie%ed at s$eeds

a$$roachin# a microsecond +y a$$lyin# an a$$ro$riate si#nal to the #ate lead, "hile holdin# the anode %olta#e constant !fter +rea2do"n, the %olta#e across the de%ice is so lo" that the current throu#h it from cathode to anode is essentially determined +y the load it is feedin# Fi#ure '(/1 ( SCR characteristic cur%e "ith %arious #ate si#nals

The im$ortant thin# to remem+er is that a small current from #ate to cathode can fire or tri##er the SCR, chan#in# it from $ractically an o$en circuit to a short circuit The only "ay to chan#e it +ac2 a#ain (to commutate it) is to reduce the load current to a %alue less than the minimum for"ard(+ias current 8ate current is re,uired only until the anode current has com$letely +uilt u$ to a $oint sufficient to sustain conduction (a+out 0 microseconds in resisti%e(load circuits) !fter conduction from cathode to anode +e#ins, remo%in# the #ate current has no effect The +asic o$eration of the SCR can +e com$ared to that of the thyratron The thyratron is an electron tu+e, normally #as filled, that uses a filament or a heater The SCR and the thyratron function in a %ery similar manner Fi#ure '(/) sho"s the schematic of each "ith the corres$ondin# elements la+eled In +oth ty$es of de%ices, control +y the in$ut si#nal is lost after they are tri##ered The control #rid (thyratron) and the #ate (SCR) ha%e no further effect on the ma#nitude of the load current after conduction +e#ins The load current can +e interru$ted +y one or more of three methods> ()) the load circuit must +e o$ened +y a s"itch, (/) the $late (anode) %olta#e must +e reduced +elo" the ioni?in# $otential of the #as (thyratron), (') the for"ard( +ias current must +e reduced +elo" a minimum %alue re,uired to sustain conduction (SCR) The in$ut resistance of the SCR is relati%ely lo" (a$$ro.imately )11 ohms) and re,uires a current for tri##erin#- the

in$ut resistance of the thyratron is e.ce$tionally hi#h, and re,uires a %olta#e in$ut to the #rid for tri##erin# action Fi#ure '(/) ( Com$arison of an SCR and a thyratron

The a$$lications of the SCR as a rectifier are many In fact, its many a$$lications as a rectifier #i%e this semiconductor de%ice its name :hen alternatin# current is a$$lied to a rectifier, only the $ositi%e or ne#ati%e hal%es of the sine "a%e flo" throu#h !ll of each $ositi%e or ne#ati%e half cycle a$$ears in the out$ut :hen an SCR is used, ho"e%er, the controlled rectifier may +e turned on at any time durin# the half cycle, thus controllin# the amount of dc $o"er a%aila+le from ?ero to ma.imum, as sho"n in fi#ure '(// Since the out$ut is actually dc $ulses, suita+le filterin# can +e added if continuous direct current is needed Thus any dc o$erated de%ice can ha%e controlled amounts of $o"er a$$lied to it Notice that the SCR must +e turned on at the desired time for each cycle Fi#ure '(// ( SCR #ate control si#nals

:hen an ac $o"er source is used, the SCR is turned off automatically, since current and %olta#e dro$ to ?ero e%ery half cycle &y usin# one SCR on $ositi%e alternations and one on ne#ati%e, full("a%e rectification can +e accom$lished, and control is o+tained o%er the entire sine "a%e The SCR ser%es in this a$$lication 3ust as its name im$lies ( as a controlled rectifier of ac %olta#e 9 )@ The SCR is $rimarily used for "hat functionA 9 )0 :hen an SCR is for"ard +iased, "hat is needed to cause it to conductA 9 )B :hat is the only "ay to cause an SCR to sto$ conductin#A