Abstract
In this letter, we use a novel 3-D model, earlier calibrated with experimental results on standard gate commutated thyristors (GCTs), with the aim to explain the physics behind the high-power technology (HPT) GCT, to investigate what impact this design would have on 24 mm diameter GCTs, and to clarify the mechanisms that limit safe switching at different dc-link voltages. The 3-D simulation results show that the HPT design can increase the maximum controllable current in 24 mm diameter devices beyond the realm of GCT switching, known as the hard-drive limit. It is proposed that the maximum controllable current becomes independent of the dc-link voltage for the complete range of operating voltage.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 6547666 |
Pages (from-to) | 954-956 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | IEEE Electron Device Letters |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Gate commutated thyristor
- maximum controllable current
- safe operating area
- thyristor
- wafer modeling
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials