Design, tests and applications of 3.3 kV asymmetrical thyristor

This paper outlines the design, rating and applications of a 3.3 kV asymmet rical thyristor (ASCR) originally designed for crowbar application in power electronics. For high-voltage applications, the trade-off between the high -voltage blocking capability and the dynamic and steady-state characteristi cs becomes increasingly difficult to achieve for conventional thyristor str uctures. It is shown that for fast turn-on switch in pulse power applicatio ns, the asymmetrical design offers the best performance. Other fast switche s such as GTOs and IGBTs can be used in pulse power applications. However, for the GTOs, the gate drive requirements are not simple and the IGBTs have peak current limitation. The preliminary characteristics of a new 3.3 kV A SCR is presented and by comparing with other fast switches, such as GTOs an d IGBTs, ASCR is shown to have several performance advantages. (C) 2001 Pub lished by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.