Unit 4-Semiconductor devices

Dr. Leena G.
Prof., EEE dept., SET, MRIIRS, Faridabad. 1
 SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
• Power semiconductor devices- power diodes, Bipolar
transistor,
• Field Effect transistor, MOSFET, IGBT
• SCR-VI characteristics
• Introduction to Power Converters
• Diode rectifier,
• Controlled rectifier
• DC to DC converters
• Inverter

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 2

 Thyristors / SILICON CONTROLLED
RECTIFIER(SCR)
• Thyristor is the family of semiconductor devices and SCR is the
most common member, So SCR is also called as thyristor.
• Silicon controlled rectifier is a unidirectional current
controlling device.
• Just like a normal p-n junction diode, it allows electric current
in only one direction and blocks electric current in other
direction.
• A normal p-n junction diode is made of two semiconductor
layers namely P type and N-type.
• However, a SCR diode is made of 4 semiconductor layers of
alternating P and N type materials.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices

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SILICON CONTROL RECTIFIER(SCR)
Construction
• SCR is a three-terminal, four-
layer semiconductor device
consisting of alternate layers
of p-type and n-type material.
• Hence it has three PN
junctions J1, J2 and J3 and four
layers P-N-P-N.
• The device has terminals
Anode(A), Cathode(C) and the
Gate(G).
• The Gate terminal(G) is
attached to the P-layer nearer
to the Cathode(C) terminal.

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 Working of SCR
• In a SCR, the load is connected in series with the anode. The
anode is always kept positive with respect to cathode.
• When no voltage applied to gate terminal, junction J2, is
reverse biased and the junctions J1 and J3 are forward biased.
Since one of the three junctions is reverse biased so there is
no current can flow through the load, hence the SCR is OFF.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 5

 Working of SCR

• However if the applied voltage is gradually increased, a stage

is reached, when reverse biased junction (J2) breaks down.
The SCR now, starts conducting and become ON.
• The value of applied voltage at which the reverse biased
junction breaks down and the SCR becomes ON is known as
Break over Voltage VBO.

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 Working of SCR
• The SCR can be turned ON at smaller applied voltage by the
application of a small positive voltage at the gate terminal.
When gate voltage is applied the junction J3 is forward biased
and junction J2 is reverse biased. Thus, the electrons from n
type layer starts moving across the junction J3 toward p type
material and the holes from p type material towards the n
type material.

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devices
 Working of SCR

• Due to the movement of holes and electrons across the

junction J3 the gate current starts flowing. Because of gate
current the anode current increases. The increased anode
current makes the more electrons available at the junction J2.
As a result of this process, in a small time, the junction J2
breaks down and the SCR is turn ON.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 8

 Working of SCR
• Even if the voltage at the gate terminal is removed, in the SCR
the anode current does not decrease. The SCR can only be
turned off by reducing the applied voltage to zero.

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 Working of SCR
There are three modes of operation for a Silicon
Controlled Rectifier (SCR), depending upon the
biasing applied:
1. Forward Blocking Mode (Off State)
2. Forward Conducting Mode (On State)
3. Reverse Blocking Mode (Off State)

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 10

 Forward Blocking Mode
• When anode is positive with respect to cathode, with
gate circuit open, thyristor (SCR) is said to be forward
biased.
• Thus junction 𝐽1 and 𝐽3 are forward biased and 𝐽2 is
reverse biased.
• As the forward voltage is increases junction 𝐽2 will have
an avalanche breakdown at a voltage called forward
break over voltage 𝑉𝐵𝑂.
• When forward voltage is less then 𝑉𝐵𝑂 thyristor (SCR)
offers high impedance. Thus it acts as an open switch in
forward blocking mode.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 11

 VI Characteristics of SCR

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 12

 Forward Conduction Mode(on –State)
• Here thyristor conducts current from anode to cathode with
a very small voltage dropacross it.
• So a thyristor can be brought from forward blocking mode
to forward conducting mode:
By exceeding the forward break over voltage.
By applying a gate pulse between gate and cathode
• During forward conduction mode of operation thyristor is in
on state and behave like a close switch.
• Voltage drop is of the order of 1 to 2mV. This small voltage
drop is due to ohmic drop across the four layers of the
device

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 13

 Reverse Blocking Mode
• When cathode of the thyristor is
made positive with respect to
anode the thyristor is reverse
biased.
• Junctions 𝐽1 and 𝐽3 are reverse
biased where junction 𝐽2 is
forward biased.
• The device behaves as if two
diodes are connected in series
with reverse voltage applied
across them.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 14

 Reverse Blocking Mode
• As the thyristor is reverse biased
and in blocking mode. It is called
as acting in reverse blocking mode
of operation.
• Now if the reverse voltage is
increased, at a critical breakdown
level called reverse breakdown
voltage 𝑉𝐵𝑅,an avalanche occurs
at 𝐽1 and 𝐽3 and the reverse
current increases rapidly. As a
large current associated with 𝑉𝐵𝑅
and hence more losses to the SCR.
• This results in thyristor damage as
junction temperature may exceed
its maximum temperature.
Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 15
 VI Characteristics of SCR

• Latching current is the minimum current value required for SCR to

turn on.
• On the other hand holding current is the current value below which
SCR stops conduction.
Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 16
 Turning off of SCR
SCR is controlled turn-on by a gate signal. After SCR/thyristors are
on, they remain latched-in on-state and gate signal loses control.
But it cannot be turned OFF through the gate terminal. These can
be turned-off by the process called commutation.
• In all commutation techniques, a reverse voltage is applied
across the thyristor during the turn OFF process.
• By turning OFF a thyristor it is brought from forward conducting
to the forward blocking mode.
• The condition to be satisfied in order to turn OFF an SCR are:
– IA < IH ( Anode current must be less than holding current)
– A reverse voltage is applied to SCR for sufficient time
enabling it to recover its blocking state.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 17

 Power Converters
• Power converters are the power electronic circuits that are
used to convert the input power source into a source as
required by load.
• Input can be AC or DC and connected load may require DC or
AC .
• So depending on the load, power converter will convert the
input to desired form either ac or dc.

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 Classification of Power Converters
• So depending on the load, power converter will
convert the input to desired form either ac or dc
and based on this power converter can be
classified as
 AC-DC Converter
(Rectifiers and Phase Controlled Rectifiers)
 DC-DC Converters (Chopper)
 DC – AC Converters (INVERTER)

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 19

 AC-DC Converter (Phase Controlled
Rectifier)
• Converts AC into DC.
• Converters employing Diodes are known as rectifiers.
• Converters employing SCR in place of Diodes are known as
Phase controlled rectifiers.
• Diodes are uncontrolled device and will conduct as they gets
forward biased.
• SCR are controlled device and can conduct only when gate
pulse is applied though they are forward biased.
• The instant at which gate pulse is applied to SCR is termed as
firing angle.
• These are used in dc drives, metallurgical and chemical
industries, excitation systems for synchronous machines etc
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 Diode-Rectifier
Diodes are uncontrolled rectifying devices. Their on and off states are
controlled by the power supply. A half wave diode rectifier is shown
below.
• Diode conduct during positive half cycle of input and there is
voltage across load
• Diode is reverse biased during negative half cycle of input and
hence no voltage across load.
• Diode rectifiers find wide range in electric traction, battery charging,
electroplating, electrochemical processing, power supplies, welding
and uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system

[Link] 21
 Single phase half wave controlled rectifier
with R Load
• Fig. shows the circuit
diagram of a Single Phase
Half Wave Controlled
Rectifier with resistive load
(triggering circuit (gate
voltage )not shown in the
figure).
• The circuit is energized by
the line voltage or
transformer secondary
voltage, ν = Vmax sin ωt.

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 22

 Single phase half wave controlled rectifier
with R Load
• The thyristor can be triggered
at any angle α in the positive
half cycle and thus the
output voltage can be
controlled.
• The thyristor blocks during
the negative half cycle.
• The voltage and
current waveforms for the
Single Phase Half Wave
Controlled Rectifier with
resistive load circuit are
shown
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devices
 Single phase half wave controlled rectifier
with R Load

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 DC-DC Converter or Chopper
• DC to DC converter is very much needed nowadays as many
industrial applications are dependent upon DC voltage source.
• The performance of these applications will be improved if we
use a variable DC supply.
• It will help to improve controllability of the equipment also.
• We can control and vary a constant DC voltage with the help
of a DC To DC Converter or Chopper.
• Chopper is a basically static power electronics device
(MOSFET or SCR ) which converts fixed DC voltage/power to
variable DC voltage or power.
• It is nothing but a high speed switch which connects and
disconnects the load from source at a high rate to get variable
or chopped voltage at the output.
Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 25
 DC-DC Converter or Chopper
• A chopper is a static device that converts fixed DC input
voltage to variable output voltagedirectly.
• Chopper are mostly used in electric vehicle, trolley
buses, mini haulers, subway cars etc.
• Chopper are used for speed control and braking. The
systems employing chopper offer smooth control, high
efficiency and have fast response.
• Depending upon the output ,
Step Down Chopper– when output voltage is less than
input voltage
Step up Chopper–when output voltage greater than
source.

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devices
 Inverters
• An inverter is basically power conversion circuits that change dc
power into ac equivalent of desired voltage as well as frequency.
• These have enormous applications such as in UPS, induction
heating, HVDC transmission lines, adjustable speed ac drives, etc.
• It performs the inverse operation of ac to dc converter, thus, it is
called as inverter.
• There are two major classifications of the inverter, namely, voltage
source inverter and current source inverter.
• Voltage source inverter changes the dc voltage into ac voltage
likewise a current source inverter changes direct current into
alternating current .
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devices
 Short questions
• Classify the types of semiconductor switching devices
• Compare BJT with MOSFET
• List the types of DC-DC Converters
• What is meant by firing angle?
• Define latching current of SCR.
• State the advantages of MOSFET over BJT.
• What is a DC-DC Converter or Chopper?
• State the difference between rectifier and controlled rectifier?
• Name the types of Inverter.
• Define holding current of SCR.
• What is an inverter?
• State any two applications of IGBT?
• State two applications of MOSFET?

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 28

 Long Answer questions
• Discuss the construction and applications of MOSFET.
• Sketch and Discuss the VI characteristics of SCR .
• Explain the working of SCR ?
• Explain the construction and application of IGBT.
• Enumerate the operation single phase-controlled rectifier
with R load
• Explain the different modes of operation of SCR
• Explain the working of diode rectifier?
• What are the different ways you can switch on the SCR?

Unit 4-Dr. Leena G. Semiconductor devices 29