thyristor
Sign in to saveA thyristor (, from a combination of Greek language θύρα, meaning "door" or "valve", and transistor) is a solid-state semiconductor device which can be thought of as being a highly robust and switchable diode, allowing the passage of current in one direction but not the other, often under control of a gate electrode, that is used in high-power applications like inverters and radar generators. It usually consists of four layers of alternating P- and N-type materials. It acts as a bistable switch (or a latch). There are two designs, differing in what triggers the conducting state. In a three-lea
AI overview
A thyristor is a semiconductor device that acts like a controllable one-way gate for electrical current, designed to handle high-power applications such as inverters and radar systems. It works as a bistable switch—meaning it can be turned on or off—and typically consists of four alternating layers of semiconductor material that allow current to flow in one direction but not the other.
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Key facts
- Electronic component.name
- Thyristor
- Electronic component.image
- SCR1369.jpg
- Electronic component.caption
- Thyristor
- Electronic component.type
- Active
- Electronic component.first_produced
- 1956
- Electronic component.symbol
- 100px
- Electronic component.pins
- anode, gate and cathode
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
17 sectionsContents
- History
- Design
- Gate terminal
- Switching characteristics
- Frequency
- Types
- Reverse-conducting thyristor
- Photothyristors
- Failure modes
- Applications
- Snubber circuits
- HVDC electricity transmission
- Comparisons to other devices
- See also
- References
- Sources
- External links
A thyristor (, from a combination of Greek language θύρα, meaning "door" or "valve", and transistor) is a solid-state semiconductor device which can be thought of as being a highly robust and switchable diode, allowing the passage of current in one direction but not the other, often under control of a gate electrode, that is used in high-power applications like inverters and radar generators. It usually consists of four layers of alternating P- and N-type materials. It acts as a bistable switch (or a latch). There are two designs, differing in what triggers the conducting state. In a three-lead thyristor, a small current on its gate lead controls the larger current of the anode-to-cathode path. In a two-lead thyristor, conduction begins when the potential difference between the anode and cathode themselves is sufficiently large (breakdown voltage). The thyristor continues conducting until the voltage across the device is reverse-biased or the voltage is removed (by some other means), or through the control-gate signal on newer types.
Some sources define "silicon-controlled rectifier" (SCR) and "thyristor" as synonymous. Other sources define thyristors as more complex devices that incorporate at least four layers of alternating N-type and P-type substrate.