ET502

POWER ELECTRONICS
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF POWER
ELECTRONIC DEVICES

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To familiar with type of devices used in power
electronic.
To recognize the symbol and structure of each
devices.
To know the I-V characteristic of each devices.
To be able to explain the turn-on and turn-off
characteristic of each devices.

POWER ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Thyristor

SCR

GTO

Transistor

TRIA
C

BJT

FET

IGB
T

1.1 SILICON CONTROLLED

RECTIFIER (SCR)
SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE
Consist of 3 terminal : Anode, Gate and Cathode
Build from four layers of alternating P- type and N-type material.

1.1 SCR Symbol

1.2 SCR Structure

 Alternatively, SCR also can be generated

using two- transistor model

1.3 Equivalent Symbol

Structure

1.4 Equivalent

I-V CHARACTERISTIC
j

 When anode is +ve potential with respect to

cathode
Anode and cathode are FB and gate is RB
Current from anode to cathode is blocked by gate
and the forward leakage current will flows.

When +ve voltage is increase at the anode

with respect to cathode
Here the gate that happened to be in RB will
subjected to reverse break- down.
Therefore the free carrier movement across all
junction is more and a large anode to cathode
current start to flow.
Now the SCR is in the ON or conductive state.

 When cathode +ve potential with

respect to anode
Gate is FB and are Anode and cathode RB
Current is blocked by anode to cathode
and the reverse leakage current will flows.
The SCR is OFF or forward blocking state.

When +ve voltage is increase at the

cathode with respect to anode
Due to the to the blocking in anode and
cathode the gate will be broke.
This is termed as avalanche break-down.

 Forward Break-over Voltage a certain value of

forward voltage that allow SCR to operate.
Reverse Break-over Voltage a certain value of
reveres voltage that course the avalanche break
down.
Latching Current minimum ON state current to
keep the device ON after the triggering pulse is
removed.
Holding Current - minimum current that must be
flowing from anode to cathode (with no gate
current) and still be guaranteed that the SCR will
not turn off.

TURN- ON SCR
SCR can be Turn- on either by:
Applying forward bias voltage larger or equal
to the threshold voltage. (Vfb >VT)
Triggering positive pulse at gate terminal
during forward bias

TURN-OFF SCR
SCR can be Turn- off either by:
Applying reverse bias
Turning off power supply or switch
Reducing forward current less then holding
current (IH)

1.2 GATE-TURN-OFF (GTO)

SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE
Similar to SCR with 3 terminal: Anode, Cathode and
Gate.

1.5 GTO Symbol

Structure

1.6 GTO

I-V CHARACTERISTIC

 TURN- ON GTO
The gate turn off thyristor can be turned
like an ordinary thyristor by a pulse of
Positive gate current.

TURN-OFF GTO
GTO can be turned off by applying
negative pulse of approximate
amplitude at the gate terminal.

1.3 TRIAC
SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE
Similar with SCR with extra features where it can
conduct current in two direction.

1.7 SCR Symbol

Structure

1.8 SCR

I-V CHARACTERISTIC

 The V-I characteristics for triac in the Ist and III

rd quadrants are essentially identical to those
of an SCR in the first quadrant.
The triac can be operated with either positive or
negative gate controlled voltage but in normal
operation usually the gate voltage is positive in
Quadrant I and Negative in Quadrant III.
The supply voltage at which the triac is turned
on depends upon the gate current.
The grater the gate current , the smaller supply
voltage at which the triac is turned on .this
permits to use a triac to control ac power in a
load 0 to full power in a smooth and continues
manner with no loss in the controlling device.

 TURN- ON TRIAC
Applying forward bias voltage larger or
equal to the threshold voltage. (Vfb >VT)
Triggering pulse at gate terminal

TURN-OFF TRIAC
Turning off power supply or switch
Reducing forward current less then
holding current (IH)

1.4 BIPOLAR JUNTION TRANSISTOR

(BJT)
SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE

1.9 SCR Symbol

Structure

1.10 SCR

 I-V CHARACTERISTIC

 The characteristic of BJT can be

represent by value of IB, IC and VCE
as illustrate in in the fig above.
For a fixed IB, IC will dependent to
VCE , and thus when VCE is increase IC
also increase.
However the increment of IC after the
saturation region is small compared
to the increment of IC with increment
VCE when in the saturation region.

1.5 MOSFET
SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE

1.9 SCR Symbol

Structure

1.10 SCR

 I-V CHARACTERISTIC

 The characteristic of MOSFET can be

represent by value of ID, VDS and VGS as
illustrate in in the fig above.
For a fixed VGS, ID will dependent to VDS , and
thus when VDS is increase ID also increase.
However the increment of ID after the
saturation region is small compared to the
increment of ID with increment VDS when in
the saturation region.

1.6 INSULATED GATE BIPOLAR

TRANSISTOR (IGBT)
SYMBOL AND STRUCTURE

1.11 IGBT Symbol

Structure

1.12 IGBT

Switching Characteristic Of
Transistor
Turn on
During turn on the i will increase while
V will decrease.
The device need some time before it will
becoming truly turn on.
ton = td + tr
Where
t = time delay
t = time rise
sw

sw

Turn off
During turn on the will V increase
while i will decrease.
Just like turn on the device also need
some time before it will becoming
truly turn off.
toff = ts + tf
Where
t = time storage
t = time fall
sw

sw

BJT switching waveform

Switching Characteristic Of
Tyristor
Turn-On
Thyristor turn-on time, is defined as the
time during which it changes from
forward blocking state to final on-state.
Total turn-on time can be divided into
three intervals ; (i) delay time t d, (ii)
rise time trand (iii) spread time tp
ton = td + tr + tp

 Delay time is the time during which

anode current rises from forward
leakage current to 0.1 Iawhere Ia=
final value of anode current.
The rise time tris the time taken by
the anode current to rise from 0.1
Iato 0.9 Ia.
The spread time is the time taken by
the anode current to rise from 0.9
Iato Ia.

Turn- Off
The turn-off time tqof a thyristor is
defined as the time between the anode
current becomes zero and the SCR
regains forward blocking capability.
The turn-off time is divided into two
intervals ; reverse recovery time t rrand
the gate recovery time tg r
tq= trr+ tgr.

BJT switching waveform