LPU CAVITE

IPEL 01E
Feb 3, 2025

By: Engr. Joshua B. Ancheta

INTRODUCTION
• The two layer semiconductor diode has led to three, four, and even
five layer devices.
• Thyristors refer to a class of solid-state silicon switching devices that
are constructed of four semiconductor layers (PNPN).
• These devices do not require any control current once they are
turned on when triggered or a quick pulse of control current is
applied,
• they turn on and become low-resistance current paths and remain so.
• When the trigger is removed, thyristors keep going until the current
is reduced to a certain level or triggered off depending on the type of
device.
• It is constructed of four semiconductor layers that form a pnpn
structure. The device acts as a switch and remains off until the
forward voltage reaches a certain value; then it turns on and
conducts.
• Conduction continues until the current is reduced below a specified
value (Holding Current)
• Thyristors are mostly used to control the amount of power going to a
working device. They are used in lamp dimmers, motor speed
control, ignition systems and charging circuits.
• UJTs and PUTs can be used as triggering devices for thyristors,
oscillators and timing circuits.
• They are generally high-power devices that can handle great deal of
power without reaching harmful temperatures.
• The most important thyristors are silicon-controlled rectifier and the
TRIAC.
• Like power FETs, the SCR and the TRIAC can switch large currents on and
off.
• Because of this, they can be used for
• overloading protection,
• motor controls,
• heaters,
• lighting systems, and other heavy current loads.
FOUR LAYER DEVICES
• A family of four-layer and other important devices that will be discussed in this module are:
• Shockley diode /Four Layer Diode
• Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
• Gate Turn-Off SCR (GTO)
• Silicon Unilateral Switch (SUS)
• With gate
• With-out gate
• Silicon Bilateral Switch (SBS)
• Silicon-Controlled Switch (SCS)
• Diac and Triac
• Unijunction Transistor (UJT)
• Programmable Unijunction Transistor (PUT)
• Phototransistor
• Light-Activated SCR (LASCR)
Shockley Diode
Four Layer Diode
Silicon Unilateral Switch
SCR
SUS with gate SBS
SCS GTO
TRIAC DIAC
UJT
PUT
LASCR Phototransistor
Shockley Diode / Four Layer Diode
and SUS
• The pnpn structure can be represented by an equivalent circuit
consisting of pnp transistor and an npn transistor
Forward-Blocking Region

• It is a region of forward bias in which the device has a

very high forward resistance (ideally an open) and is in
the off state.
It exists from VAK = 0 V up to a value of VAK called the
forward-breakover voltage
Switching Current
• It is the value of the anode current at the point where the device
switches from the forward-blocking region (off) to the forward-
conduction region (on).
• Its value is always less than the holding current, IH.

Holding Current
• It is when the device is in the on state and acts as a closed switch.
Forward-Conduction Region

• It is when the device is in the on state and

acts as a closed switch

• When IA falls below IH, the device turns off

SCR
• Another 4-layer pnpn
device similar to SUS,
except with three
terminals: anode, cathode,
and gate.
CHARACTERISTIC CURVE
SCR
• Forward-break over voltage (VBR(F)): the voltage at which the SCR
enters the forward-conduction (on) region. VBR(F) is maximum if IG=0.
when the gate current increased, VBR(F) decreases and so on for
increasing steps in gate current.
• Holding current (IH): the value of anode current below which the SCR
switches from the forward conduction region to forward blocking (off)
region. The value increases with an decreasing value of IG.
SCR
• Gate trigger current (IGT): the gate current necessary to switch the
SCR from the forward blocking region to the forward conduction
region under specified condition
• Average forward current (IF(avg)): maximum continuous anode current
that the device can withstand in the conduction state under specified
condition
• Forward conduction region: the region corresponds to the on
condition of the SCR where there is forward current from anode to
cathode through the very low resistance of the SCR
SCR
• Forward blocking and reverse blocking regions: these regions
correspond to the off condition of the SCR where the forward current
from anode to cathode is blocked by the effective open circuit of the
SCR
• Reverse breakdown voltage (VBR(R)): values if reverse voltage from
anode to t\cathode at which the device breaks into the avalanche
region and begins to conduct heavily
SCR
• It has two possible state:
• on state ( acting like a short between the anode and cathode , but
actually there is a small on forward resistance) and
• off state (acting as an open circuit between the anode and the
cathode, but actually there is a very high resistance)
SCR Applications
• motor controls
• time delay circuit
• heater control
• phase control
• relay control, etc.
• Like the 4-layer diode operation, the SCR
can best be understood by thinking of its
internal pnpn structure as two-transistor
arrangement as shown above.
• The structure is like the SUS except for the
gate connection
Turning the SCR “ON”
• When IG=0, the device in the off state. The device can be approximated as
an open switch
• When a positive pulse is applied to the gate, both transistor turns on. And
even the pulse is removed; both transistors stay “ON” due to regenerative
action

• SCR can also be turned on (even IG=0) by increasing A-to-K voltage to a

value exceeding the forward-breakover voltage VBR(F).
• Care should be taken in turning on the SCR. The device should only be
trigger by a pulse on the gate terminal to limit the current that can damage
the device
Turning the SCR “OFF”
• When the gate pulse is remove, IG=0, but the SCR cannot be turn off;
it stays in the forward conduction region
• The anode current must drop below the value of the holding current,
to turn off the device
• Two basic methods in turning off the SCR: anode current interruption
and force commutation
ANODE CURRENT INTERRUPTION
• The anode current can be interrupted by either
a momentary series or parallel switching
arrangement as shown in the figure
• The series connection in the left part simply
reduces the anode current to zero and causes
the SCR to turn
• The parallel switch in the right part routes part
of the total current away from the SCR, thereby
reducing the anode current to values less than
IH
FORCED COMUTATION
• The forced commutation method basically requires momentarily
forcing current through the SCR in the direction opposite to the
forward conduction so that the net forward current is reduced below
the holding value.

• The basic circuit is shown. It consist of switch and a battery in parallel

with SCR. While SCR is conducting, the switch is open. To turn off the
SCR, switch must be closed, forcing the current to flow through the
battery opposite to the anode current
FORCED COMUTATION
Firing Delay Angle and Conduction Angle
• Firing Delay Angle and Conduction Angle
• The popular terms used to describe how an SCR is operating are: firing delay
angle and conduction angle.
• Conduction angle is the number of degrees of an ac cycle during which the
SCR is turned on.
• Firing delay angle is the number of degrees of an ac cycle that elapses before
the SCR is turned on.

• The firing delay angle and conduction angle always total 180°.
SCR Applications
• ON-OFF control current
• Half-wave power control
• Lighting System for power interruption
• Over voltage protection circuit
ON-OFF CONTROL
HALF-WAVE POWER CONTROL
Lighting System for power interruption
Over voltage protection circuit
• Sometimes called “crowbar” circuit in a dc power supply.
RC Triggering Method
RC Triggering Method with Breakover Device
at the Gate Terminal
Previous method
has disadvantages: R1
RL

• Temperature dependence Vsupply

• Inconsistent firing diac SCR

behavior between SCRs R2

of the same type
C1
SCR Circuit: Vavg and Vrms Formula
Formulas
Em
 Half Wave Vavg  (1 cos )
2
Em  sin2
Vrms  1 
2  2
Em
 Full Wave Vavg  (1 cos )

Em  sin2
Vrms  1 
2  2
Sample Problem
A 220V ac supply is used for a half wave controlled converter SCR-
circuit, if the firing angle is found to be 45, determine the average and
rms load voltage.

also, calculate the load power if the load R=100 ohms.

SW
A thyristor (SCR) controlled converter has a supply voltage of 240V
at 50Hz and load resistance of 100. What are the AVG and RMS
voltage and load power when :
a.  = 30  HW
b.  = 30  FW