Method of operating thyristor with insulated gates

US5428228A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba · JP

Inventors

• Tsuneo Ogura · Yokohama, JP
• Kiminori Watanabe · Kawasaki, JP
• Akio Nakagawa · Hiratsuka, JP
• Yoshihiro Yamaguchi · Saitama, JP
• Norio Yasuhara · Tobetsu, JP
• Tomoko Matsudai · Shibuya, JP
• Shigeru Hasegawa · Yokohama, JP
• Kazuya Nakayama · Sagamihara, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 10, 1993
• Grant date: Jun 27, 1995
• Expiry date: Dec 10, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D18/655

Abstract

A thyristor with insulated gates includes turn-off and turn-on MOSFETs. The turn-on MOSFET has a turn-on gate employing a p-type base as a channel and extending over an n-type base and an n-type emitter. The turn-off MOSFET has n-type drain and source layers formed in a p-type base layer, and a turn-off gate extending over the drain and source layers. The n-type drain layer is short-circuited with the p-type base layer via a drain electrode. The drain electrode is formed near an n-type emitter layer. When the thyristor is to be turned off, the first voltage is applied to the turn-on gate, and the second voltage is applied to the turn-off gate while the first voltage is applied to the turn-on gate. After the application of the second voltage continues for a predetermined period of time, the application of the first voltage to the turn-on gate is stopped. With this operation, the thyristor can be turned off even with a large current.