Gate turn-off thyristor with stop layer

US6107651A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Asea Brown Boveri, S.A. · CH

Inventors

• Stefan Linder · Zofingen, CH
• Andre Weber · Carletonville, ZA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 30, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2000
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D62/148

Abstract

In a gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) with homogeneous anode, emitter and stop layer, a device which short-circuit the stop layer with the anode is provided in an edge termination region. As a result, in a reverse-biased state, the GTO has a structure of a diode in the edge region and amplification of a reverse current is obviated. With this structure, thermal loading in the edge region is reduced, as the GTO tolerates a higher operating temperature at a predetermined voltage.