Thyristors
(210)Thyristors are four-layer semiconductor components, built of four layers of alternating P- and N-type materials. Thyristors act as a type of connectors, which can operate in two states – on (with low resistance) or off (with high resistance).
Thyristors: construction and application
The N-type area is characterized by the presence of majority carriers in the form of electrons. In the P-type layer, however, the carriers are positively charged holes. The thyristor is equipped with a set of three electrodes. Two of them – cathode and anode – are connected to the outer layers. The third one, called the gate, is the middle one, P-type. Conduction takes place after an appropriate signal is given to the gate (triggering), and it starts from the anode in the direction of the cathode and lasts until the time of current decay between them. After switching on, the component continues to conduct electricity, even after a voltage drop at the gate, which, depending on the application, may be a desirable or non-desirable feature.
Thanks to their properties, thyristors, as keying elements, are widely used in many products of the electronics, power engineering, energy and automation industries. For example, they can be used as direct or alternating current controllers. One of applications is the control of lighting and heating systems in buildings. These elements also work well in safety systems, as switches and AC interrupters. Thyristors switch off when the anode-cathode current drops to zero. Thyristors are also used in frequency converters.
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