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Lecture 3 - Thyristors
dulika@ent.mrt.ac.lk
March 1, 2016
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Electronics I Semiconductor Devices
Introduction
A family of devices known as thyristors are constructed of four
semiconductor layers (pnpn)
Thyristors include,
1 Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
2 DIAC
3 TRIAC
4 Silicon-Controlled Switch (SCS)
5 4-layer diode
They act as open circuits capable of withstanding a certain rated voltage
until they are triggered
When triggered, they turn-ON and become low-resistance current paths
and remain so, even after the trigger is removed
They conduct until the current is reduced to a certain level or until they
are triggered off
Applications - used to control the amount of ac power to a load
1 Lamp dimmers
2 Motor speed controls
3 Ignition systems
4 Charging circuits
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Figure: The SCR turn-ON process - Electron flow direction is shown as current flow
direction
When the gate current (IG = 0), is zero, the device in the off state
The very high resistance between the anode and cathode can be
approximated by an open switch
When a positive pulse of current (trigger) is applied to the gate, both
transistors turn on (the anode must be more positive than the cathode)
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Figure: The SCR turn-ON process - Electron flow direction is shown as current flow
direction
IB2 turns-ON Q2 , providing a path for IB1 out of the Q2 collector, thus
turning-ON Q1
The collector current of Q1 provides additional base current for Q2 so that
Q2 stays in conduction after the trigger pulse is removed from the gate
By this regenerative action, Q2 sustains the saturated conduction of Q1
by providing a path for IB1
In turn, Q1 sustains the saturated conduction of Q2 by providing IB2 6 / 34
Electronics I Semiconductor Devices
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The DIAC
A diac is a two-terminal four-layer semiconductor device
The right side of the stack - pnpn structure with the same characteristics
as a four-layer diode
Left side is an inverted four-layer diode having an npnp structure
Conduct current in either direction when activated
The top and bottom layers contain both n and p materials
Conduction occurs in a diac when the breakover voltage is reached with
either polarity
The device turns OFF when the current drops below the holding value
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TRIAC
A TRIAC is like a DIAC with a gate terminal
A triac can be turned on by a pulse of gate current
The TRIAC can conduct current in either direction when it is triggered
on (depending on the polarity)
The only way to turn off the triac is to reduce the current to a sufficiently
low level
TRIAC operation
Terminal A1 is biased positive with respect to A2 - Q1 and Q2 conduct
with positive pulse
Terminal A2 is biased positive with respect to A1 - Q3 and Q4 conduct
with positive pulse
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SCS operation
Turn-ON operation
A positive pulse on the cathode gate
drives Q2 into conduction
Provides a path for Q1 base current
When Q1 turns ON, its collector current
provides base current for Q2
Thus sustaining the on state of the device
The SCS can also be turned on with a
negative pulse on the anode gate
This drives Q1 into conduction, provides
base current for Q2 , Once Q2 is on, it
provides a path for Q1 base current, thus
sustaining the ON state
Figure: SCS turn-ON
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Electronics I Semiconductor Devices
SCS operation
Turn-OFF operation
A positive pulse is applied to the anode
gate to turn the SCS off
This reverse-biases the base-emitter
junction of Q1 and turns it off
Q2 in turn, cuts off and the SCS ceases
conduction
The device can also be turned off with a
negative pulse on the cathode gate
Shockley Diode
The 4-layer diode (also known as Shockley diode and SUS) is a type of
thyristor
The pnpn structure can be represented by pnp and npn transistor
When a positive bias voltage is applied
1 Base-emitter junctions of Q1 and Q2 (pn junctions 1 and 3) are forward
biased
2 Common base-collector junction (pn junction 2) is reverse biased
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Characteristics curve
Direction of electron current is shown (Real currents in opposite direction)
Characteristics curve,
1 As VAK is increased from 0, the anode current IA , gradually increases,
2 VAK = VBR(F ) when IA = IS due saturation of the internal transistor
structures
3 When this happens, the forward voltage drop VAK , suddenly decreases to a
low value
4 When the anode current drops back below the holding value IH , the device
turns off
Thyreistor Applications
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A UJT Application