Advanced light-triggered thyristor. Final report
The ultimate aim of the earlier phases (I and II) of EPRI contract RP669-2 was to develop a light triggered thyristor capable of one for one replacement of electrically triggered thyristors in the demanding HVDC application where hundreds of thyristors are connected in series and must be turned on and commutate off simultaneously. This goal was accomplished with the 2.6 kV, 1000 A EPRI-GE4 light triggered thyristor (LTT) described in an interim report. However, as higher voltage thyristors were developed, this 2.6 kV LTT became obsolete. Thus our new goal was set at 5 kV. Actually, a part of the Phase II program was to investigate means to scale up in voltage to 5 kV and to eliminate protective circuitry, where possible, by incorporating protective functions into the thyristor, particularly VBO (Voltage Break-Over) protection. Since both 5 kV turn-on and VBO protection involved safe turn-on at high voltages, these two problems are qualitatively similar. During the current program we also laid the foundation for ion implant processing and began work on a more effective edge termination technique which, if combined, could lead to both higher current and voltage ratings from the same starting wafer. Such improvements as ion implant processing and new breakdwn voltage technology are keys to higher voltage thyristors in the same way that controlled turn-on is the key to safe turn-on, whatever the device voltage rating. All phases of this program have been greatly assisted by a huge GE computer modeling commitment, a commitment which led, in less than six months from the GE11 device failures, to the GE13 device success. In higher voltage device development such a capability is even more critical because of the general increase in process difficulty and cost.
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (USA). Corporate Research and Development Center
- OSTI ID:
- 6778307
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-EL-3643; ON: TI84920475
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
DC SYSTEMS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
HVDC SYSTEMS
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
POWER SYSTEMS
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
PULSE CIRCUITS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
THYRISTORS
TRIGGER CIRCUITS