MODULE 2

THYRISTOR OPERATION FUNDAMENTALS

 Operation Fundamentals
• It’s a silicon-based semiconductor device fabricated in USA.

• The term thyristor denotes a family of semiconductor

devices used for power control in dc and ac systems.
• Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR), is the most widely used
device.
• The term thyristor is more common than the SCR.

• We will use the term SCR and thyristor for the same device.
 Thyristor Characteristics
• Thyristor is a 4 layers;
3 junction; p-n-p-n
device.
• It has three terminals;
anode, cathode and
gate.
• For large current applications, thyristors need better cooling;
this is achieved by mounting them onto heat sinks.
• SCR rating has improved since its introduction in 1957. Now
SCRs of voltage rating 10 kV and a current rating of 3000 A
with a power-handling capacity of 30 MW are available.
• Such a high power thyristor can be switched on by a low
voltage supply of about 1 A and 10 watts.
 Thyristor Characteristics
• As SCRs are solid state devices, they are compact, possess
high reliability and have low loss. so, SCR is almost
universally employed for all power-controlled devices.
• An SCR is so called because; silicon is used for its construction
and its operation as a rectifier can be controlled.
• Like the diode, an SCR is a unidirectional device that blocks
the current flow from anode to cathode until it is triggered
into conduction by a proper gate signal between gate and
cathode terminals.
Static V-I Characteristics of a Thyristor
 Thyristor Modes of Operation
The thyristor has three basic modes of operation:-

1. The reverse blocking mode,

2. The forward blocking (off-state) mode

3. The forward conduction (on-state) mode.

 The Reverse Blocking Mode
• When the cathode is positive with
respect to anode with zero gate
current, the SCR is reverse biased.
• Junctions J1, J3 are reverse biased
& the J2 is forward biased.
• The SCR behaves as 2 diodes
connected in series in reverse.
• A small leakage current of order of
a milli - amperes (or microamperes
depending upon the SCR rating)
flows.
 1.The Reverse Blocking Mode
• This mode is called the off-state, of the SCR.
• If the reverse voltage is increased to a critical
voltage level, called reverse breakdown voltage
VBR, an avalanche occurs at J1 and J3 and the
reverse current increases rapidly, this leads to
thyristor damage because the junction
temperature exceed its permissible value,
(ensured that maximum working reverse
voltage does not exceed VBR).
• When reverse voltage is less than VBR, the
device offers high impedance and the SCR acts
as an open switch.
2. The Forward Blocking Mode
The forward blocking mode.
• The anode voltage is
positive w.r.t the cathode
and no gate current.
• The anode current remains
nearly zero and the device
offers high impedance.
• The SCR acts as open switch.
• The thyristor is never used
in this mode of operation.
 3. The Forward Conducting Mode
Thyristor can be turned on by any of
the following techniques:-

1. Forward voltage triggering

2. Gate triggering

3. dv/dt triggering

4. Temperature triggering

5. Light triggering
 Forward Voltage Triggering
• The anode to cathode forward voltage is increased with gate
circuit open.
• The reverse biased junction J2 will have an avalanche
breakdown at a voltage called forward break over voltage VBO.
Define the break over voltage VBO.
It’s the voltage at which the SCR changes from off-state (high
voltage with low leakage current) to on-state (low voltage
across thyristor with large forward anode current).
• The anode current is limited mainly by the load impedance.
• The forward voltage drop across SCR during the on-state is
about 1 to 1.5 V.
 Forward Voltage Triggering
• When the SCR conducts the forward current (becomes on), it
acts as a closed switch.
• In practice, turning on the SCR by exceeding VBO is never
employed.
• After the avalanche breakdown, junction J2 looses its
reverse blocking capability.
• Therefore, if the anode voltage is reduced below VBO, SCR
will stay on. (WHY?)
• The SCR can is turned off by reducing the anode current
below a value called holding current.(HOW?).
 Gate Triggering
• Turning on of thyristors by gate triggering is simple,
reliable and efficient; it is therefore the most usual
method of firing the forward biased SCRs.
• If a thyristor is working at 400 V while its break over
voltage is 800 V; this means that thyristor will remain in
forward blocking mode (off state) as long as the gate is
open.
• But if a positive voltage between gate and cathode is
applied and the gate current is established; charges are
injected into the inner P layer and the break over voltage
is reduced.
• The new break over voltage depends upon the magnitude
of gate current.
 Gate Triggering
• The effect of gate current on the
forward break over voltage can
be illustrated by the following
curve. Higher the gate current,
lower is the VBO.
• In practice, the magnitude of
gate current is more than the
minimum gate current required
to turn on the SCR.

• Once the SCR is conducting a forward current, reverse

biased junction J2 no longer exists.
 Gate Triggering
• As such, no gate current is required for the device to remain in on-
state.
• Therefore, if the gate current is removed, the conduction of anode
current is unaffected.
• But if the gate current is reduced to zero before the rising anode
current attains a value, called the latching current, the thyristor
will turn-off again.
• The gate pulse width should be chosen to ensure that anode
current rises above the latching current.
• The latching current is defined as the minimum value of
anode current which it must attain during turn-on process to
maintain conduction when gate signal is removed.
• Once the thyristor is conducting, gate loses control.
 Gate Triggering
• The thyristor can be turn-off only if the forward current falls
below the holding current.
The holding current may be defined as the minimum value of
anode current below which it must fall for turning-off the
thyristor.
• The latching current is higher than the holding current.
• The latching current is associated with turn-on process and
holding current with turn-off.
• It is usual to take latching current as two to three times the
holding current.
 d
Triggering
dt
• With forward voltage across the anode and cathode, J1 and
J3 are forward biased but J2 is reverse biased, this junction
has the characteristics of a capacitor.
• Due to charges existing across this junction if the rate of rise
of voltage dva/dt is high, the charging current I will be more.

• This charging current plays the role of gate current and turns
on the SCR even when gate signal is zero.
• dv/dt turning on method must be avoided as it leads to false
operation of the thyristor circuit.
 Temperature Triggering

• During forward blocking, most of the applied

voltage appears across the junction J2.
• This voltage across J2 associated with leakage
current may raise the temperature of this junction.
• With increase in temperature, leakage current
through junction J2 further increases.
• This cumulative process may turn on the SCR at
some high temperature.
 Light Triggering

• When light is thrown on the gate-cathode junction

J3 through a light window, free charge carriers
(holes and electrons) are generated.
• If the intensity of this light exceeds a certain value,
the SCR is turned on.
• Such a thyristor is known as light-activated SCR
(LASCR).
• Light triggered thyristors are used in high voltage
direct current (HVDC) transmission systems.
 Thyristor Types
• The term thyristor includes all four-layer p-n-p-n
devices used for power control in ac and dc
systems.
• The SCR is the most popular member of thyristor
family.
• There are several other members of thyristor family
• Several new devices have been developed and
added to the thyristor family.
 1. Put (Programmable Unijunction Transistor)

• P-n-p-n device like an SCR.

• The major difference is that gate is connected to n-type
material near the anode.
• PUT is used mainly in time-delay, logic and SCR trigger
circuits.
• Its largest rating is about 200 V and 1A.
 2. SUS (Silicon Unilateral Switch)
• Is similar to a PUT but with a diode between gate and
cathode.
• Because of the diode, SUS turns on for a fixed Vak unlike an
SCR whose trigger voltage and/or current vary widely with
changes in ambient temperature.
• SUS is used mainly in timing, logic and trigger circuits.
• Its ratings are about 20 V and 0.5 A.
 3. SCS (Silicon Controlled Switch)
• SCS is a four electrode thyristor. It has two
gates one anode gate (AG) and another
cathode gate (KG).
• It can be turned on by either gate.
• A large reverse current through anode gate
can be used to turn it off.
• Its ratings are about 100 V and 200 mA.
• This can be operated like an OR gate. Its
applications are for timing, logic and
triggering circuits.
 4. LASCR (Light Activated SCR)

• This device is turned on by direct radiation of silicon with light.

• Electron-hole pairs created due to the radiation produce triggering
current under the influence of electric field.
• The gate structure is designed to provide
sufficient gate sensitivity for triggering from
practical light sources (e.g., LED).
• The LASCRs are used in high power applications
[e.g., high-voltage (HVDC) transmission].

• An LASCR offers electrical isolation between the light-triggering

source and the switching device of the power converter.
• The voltage rating of an LASCR could be as high as 4 kV at 1500 A with
light-triggering power of less than 100 mW.
 5. The Diac (Bidirectional Thyristor Diode)

• The term 'diac' is obtained from capital letters, DIode that can work on AC
• Its leads are interchangeable.
• If voltage V12, with terminal 1 positive with respect to terminal 2, exceeds
break over voltage VB01, then structure pn pn conducts.
• In case terminal 2 is positive with respect to terminal 1 and when V 21
exceeds break over voltage VB02, structure pn pn' conducts.
• When it’s on, it acts like a
low resistance with about
3 V drop across it.
• When it’s off, it acts like
an open switch.
• Its turn-on voltage is
about 20 V.
 6. Reverse-Conducting Thyristors (RCT)
• It’s a thyristor with a built-in antiparallel diode to allow
reverse current flow due to inductive load and to
improve the turn-off requirement of commutation
circuit.
• The diode clamps the reverse blocking voltage of the
SCR to 1 or 2 V under steady-state conditions.
• An RCT is also called an asymmetrical thyristor (ASCR).
• The forward blocking voltage varies from 400 to 2000 V and the
current rating goes up to 500 A.
• The reverse blocking voltage is typically 30 to 40 V.
• The applications are limited to certain circuit designs.
 7. Static Induction Thyristors (SITH)

• The characteristics of an SITH are similar to those of a MOSFET.

• An SITH is normally turned on by applying a positive gate voltage
like normal thyristors and is turned off by application of negative
voltage to its gate.
• SITH has low on-state resistance or voltage drop and it can be
made with higher voltage and current ratings.
• SITH has fast switching speeds and high dv/dt and di/dt
capabilities.
• The switching time is of the order of 1 to 6 s.
• The voltage rating can go up to 2500 V and the current rating is
limited to 500 A.
• This device is extremely sensitive and small perturbations in the
manufacturing process would produce major changes in the
device characteristics.
8. Gate Assisted Turn-off (GATT) Thyristor

• Gate-assisted turn-off thyristor (GATT) is a

normal four layer-thyristor, but its turn-off is
achieved by applying a negative gate drive
across gate-cathode terminals.

• GAT thyristors are extensively employed in TV

deflection circuits at frequencies around 20
kHz with turn-off times as low as25  sec for
200-V devices.
 9. Gate-Turn-Off (GTO )Thyristors

• It’s like an SCR can be turned on by applying a positive gate

signal, and it can be turned off by a negative gate signal.
• It’s a latching device and can be built with current and voltage
ratings similar to those of a SCR.
• The GTOs have advantages over SCRS:
(1) Elimination of commutating components in forced
commutation, reducing in cost, weight, and volume;
(2) Reduction in acoustic and electromagnetic noise due to the
elimination of commutation chokes;
(3) Faster turn-off, permitting high switching frequencies; and
Improved efficiency of converters.
 9. Gate-Turn-Off (GTO )Thyristors

• In low-power applications, GTOs have the following advantages over bipolar

transistors:
(1) higher blocking voltage capability;
(2) high ratio of peak controllable current to average current;
(3) high ratio of peak surge current to average current, typically 10:1;
(4) high on-state gain (anode current/gate current), typically 600; and pulsed
gate signal of short duration.
• A GTO has low gain during turn-off, typically 6,
and requires a relatively high negative current
pulse to turn off.
• It has higher on-state voltage than that of SCRs.
• The on-state voltage of a typical 550-A, 1200-V
GTO is typically 3.4 V.
BILATERAL TRIODE (TRIAC)
 TRIAC

• A Triac is a bidirectional thyristor with three

terminals can conduct in both the direction.
• It is used for the control of power in ac circuits.
 TRIAC
• Triac is the word derived by combining the
capital letters from the words TRIode and AC.

• When -in operation, a Triac is equivalent to two

SCRs connected in antiparallel.

• As the Triac can conduct in both the directions,

the terms anode and cathode are not applicable.
Its three terminals are usually designated as MT1
(main terminal 1), MT2 and the gate G .
• With no signal to gate, the Triac will block both
half cycles of the ac applied voltage in case peak
value of this voltage is less than the break over
voltage of VB01 or VB02 of the Triac.
• The Triac can be turned on in each half cycle of
the applied voltage by applying a positive or
negative voltage to the gate with respect to
terminal MT1.
• For convenience, terminal MT1 is taken as the
point for measuring the voltage and current at
the gate and MT2 terminals.
 Triac modes of operation
Mode 1: when MT2 & gate terminals are positive
• Triac turns on like a conventional thyristor.
• Triac operates in the first quadrant

Mode 2: When MT2 is positive & gate is negative

The Triac is less sensitive and therefore, more gate
current is required.
 Triac modes of operation
Mode 3: Both MT2 and gate are negative

the device is more sensitive compared with turn-

on action with positive gate current.

Mode 4: MT2 is negative but gate is positive

the Triac is less sensitive with positive gate

current.
 Triac AC switching circuit
• If pushbutton PB1 is closed, a trigger
current is supplied to the gate.
• The Triac conducts in both directions
to switch all of the applied ac
voltage to the load.
• If the PB1 is opened, the Triac turns
off when the ac source voltage and
holding current drop to zero, or
reverse polarity.

Note that unlike the output of the SCR circuit, the output
of this circuit is alternating current, not direct current.
 Triac motor-switching circuit
• If the thermostat is wired in series
with the motor directly, the contacts
would be destroyed by the heavier
current.
• A 24-V step-down transformer used
to reduce the voltage in the
thermostat circuit.
• The resistor limits the gate current .
• when the thermostat contacts close to switch the Triac and
motor ON.
• The maximum current rating of the thermostat contacts is much
lower than that of the Triac and motor.
• So… the Triac is able to control a large amount of load current
with a small amount of gate current
 Triac used to vary current
• Triac can be used to vary
the average ac current
going to an ac load.
• The trigger circuit controls
the point of the ac
waveform at which the
Triac is switched ON.
• The resulting waveform is
still alternating current,
but the average current is
changed.
 Triac-Diac lamp dimmer
• When R1 is at its lowest value (Bright),
capacitor C1 charges rapidly at the Dim

beginning of each half-cycle of the ac R1

120 V

voltage. 500 KΩ

• When the voltage across C1 reaches the break Bright Triac

SC 240d
MT2
R2
over voltage of the Diac, C1 is discharged into 5 KΩ 120 V – 40 W

the gate of the Triac. G

lamp

• Thus, the Triac is ON early in each half-cycle MT1

and remains ON to the end of each half-cycle. Diac

IN579A
• Therefore current will flow through the lamp C
for most of each half-cycle and produce full 0.1 µ F
brightness. Low current
control circuit
High current
power circuit

• As the resistance of R1 increases, the time Triac - Diac Lamp Dimmer

required to charge C1 to the break over
voltage of the Diac increases.
• This causes the Triac to fire later in each half-cycle. So, the length of
time current flows through the lamp is reduced, and less light is emitted.
 Thyristor Protection

4
1 2

3
6

9 5

8 7
 Thyristor Protection
During SCR turn on (i)di/dt may be large(ii) High value
of dv/dt(iii)Spurious signal across gate –cathode
terminals may lead unwanted turn on. Thyristor
must be protected against such abnormal conditions.
1.di/dt Protection
2.dv/dt Protection
3.Over Voltage Protection
4.Overcurrent Protection
5.Gate Protection
 Thyristor Protection
1.C.B (circuit Breaker) : Protection of SCR against over current.

2. FACLF ( Fast Acting Current Limiting Fuse) : Protection of SCR against over current.

3. di/dt inductor : Protection of SCR against over di/dt.

4. Snubber circuit : (dv/dt protection) : Protection of SCR against over dv/dt.

5.Varistor : Protection of SCR against over Vak.

6.H.S (Heat Sink) : Protection of SCR against over Heating.

7.RC filter : Protection of SCR against unwanted harmonics.

8.ZD( Zener Diode) : Protect the gate over Vgk.

9.Resistance( R2) : protect against over gate current.