Silicon controlled rectier

A silicon controlled rectier or semiconductorcontrolled rectier is a four-layer solid-state currentcontrolling device. The name silicon controlled rectier is General Electric's trade name for a type of
thyristor. The SCR was developed by a team of power
engineers led by Gordon Hall[1] and commercialized by
Frank W. Bill Gutzwiller in 1957.

sink. The doping of PNPN depends on the application

of SCR, since its characteristics are similar to those of
the thyristor. Today, the term thyristor applies to the
larger family of multilayer devices that exhibit bistable
state-change behaviour, that is, switching either on or o.

The operation of an SCR and other thyristors can be understood in terms of a pair of tightly coupled bipolar juncSome sources dene silicon controlled rectiers and tion transistors, arranged to cause the self-latching action:
thyristors as synonymous,[2] other sources dene silicon
controlled rectiers as a proper subset of the set of thyrisAnode
tors, those being devices with at least four layers of alP
ternating n- and p-type material.[3][4] According to Bill
P
Gutzwiller, the terms SCR and controlled rectier
N
N
N
were earlier, and thyristor was applied later, as usage
P
P
P
of the device spread internationally.[5]
Gate
N

SCRs are unidirectional devices (i.e. can conduct current

only in one direction) as opposed to TRIACs, which are
bidirectional (i.e. current can ow through them in either
direction). SCRs can be triggered normally only by currents going into the gate as opposed to TRIACs, which
can be triggered normally by either a positive or a negative current applied to its gate electrode.

N
Cathode

2 Modes of operation
There are three modes of operation for an SCR depending
upon the biasing given to it:

Construction

1. Forward blocking mode (o state)

2. Forward conduction mode (on state)

The silicon control rectier (SCR) consists of four layers
3. Reverse blocking mode (o state)
of semiconductors, which form NPNP or PNPN structures have three P-N junctions labeled J1, J2 and J3,
and three terminals. The anode terminal of an SCR is
connected to the p-type material of a PNPN structure, 2.1 Forward blocking mode
and the cathode terminal is connected to the n-type layer,
while the gate of the SCR is connected to the p-type ma- In this mode of operation, the anode is given a positive voltage while the cathode is given a negative voltage,
terial nearest to the cathode.[6]
keeping the gate at zero potential i.e. disconnected. In
An SCR consists of four layers of alternating p- and n- this case junction J1 and J3 are forward-biased, while J2
type semiconductor materials. Silicon is used as the in- is reverse-biased, due to which only a small leakage curtrinsic semiconductor, to which the proper dopants are rent exists from the anode to the cathode until the applied
added. The junctions are either diused or alloyed (al- voltage reaches its breakover value, at which J2 underloy is a mixed semiconductor or a mixed metal). The goes avalanche breakdown, and at this breakover voltage
planar construction is used for low-power SCRs (and all it starts conducting, but below breakover voltage it oers
the junctions are diused). The mesa-type construction very high resistance to the current and is said to be in the
is used for high-power SCRs. In this case, junction J2 o state.
is obtained by the diusion method, and then the outer
two layers are alloyed to it, since the PNPN pellet is required to handle large currents. It is properly braced with 2.2 Forward conduction mode
tungsten or molybdenum plates to provide greater mechanical strength. One of these plates is hard-soldered to SCR can be brought from blocking mode to conduction
a copper stud, which is threaded for attachment of heat mode in two ways: either by increasing the voltage across
1

6 COMPARED TO TRIACS

anode to cathode beyond breakover voltage or by applying positive pulse at gate. Once SCR starts conducting,
no more gate voltage is required to maintain it in the on
state. There are two ways to turn it o: 1. Reduce the current through it below a minimum value called the holding
current and 2. With the gate turned o, short out the anode and cathode momentarily with a push-button switch
or transistor across the junction

2.3

Reverse blocking mode

SCRs are available with reverse blocking capability,

which adds to the forward voltage drop because of the
need to have a long, low-doped P1 region. (If one cannot
determine which region is P1, a labeled diagram of layers and junctions can help). Usually, the reverse blocking
voltage rating and forward blocking voltage rating are the
same. The typical application for reverse blocking SCR
is in current-source inverters.

Their operation makes them suitable for use in mediumto high-voltage AC power control applications, such as
lamp dimming, regulators and motor control.
SCRs and similar devices are used for rectication
of high-power AC in high-voltage direct-current power
transmission. They are also used in the control of welding machines, mainly MTAW (metal tungsten arc welding) and GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) processesss
similar. Now a days the SCR becomes very important in
Electrical & Instrumentation oriented elds.

5 Compared to SCSs

A silicon controlled switch (SCS) behaves nearly the same

way as an SCR, aside from a few distinctions. Unlike an
SCR, an SCS switches o when a positive voltage/input
current is applied to another anode gate lead. Unlike an
SCR, an SCS can also be triggered into conduction when
SCRs incapable of blocking reverse voltage are known as a negative voltage/output current is applied to that same
asymmetrical SCR, abbreviated ASCR. They typically lead.
have a reverse breakdown rating in the tens of volts. AS- SCSs are useful in practically all circuits that need a
CRs are used where either a reverse conducting diode is switch that turns on/o through two distinct control
applied in parallel (for example, in voltage-source invert- pulses. This includes power-switching circuits, logic cirers) or where reverse voltage would never occur (for ex- cuits, lamp drivers, counters, etc.
ample, in switching power supplies or DC traction choppers).
Asymmetrical SCRs can be fabricated with a reverse conducting diode in the same package. These are known as
RCTs, for reverse conducting thyristors.

Thyristor turn-on methods

1. forward-voltage triggering
2. gate triggering
3. dv/dt triggering

temperature triggering
1. light triggering

6 Compared to TRIACs
TRIACs resemble SCRs in that they both act as electrically controlled switches. Unlike SCRs, TRIACS can
pass current in either direction. Thus, TRIACs are particularly useful for AC applications. TRIACs have three
leads: a gate lead and two conducting leads, referred to
as MT1 and MT2. If no current/voltage is applied to the
gate lead, the TRIAC switches o. On the other hand, if
the trigger voltage is applied to the gate lead, the TRIAC
switches on.
TRIACs are suitable for light-dimming circuits, phasecontrol circuits, AC power-switching circuits, AC motor
control circuits, etc...

Forward-voltage triggering occurs when the anode 6.1 See also

cathode forward voltage is increased with the gate circuit
opened. This is known as avalanche breakdown, during
Dimmer
which junction J2 will break down. At sucient voltages,
High-voltage direct current
the thyristor changes to its on state with low voltage drop
and large forward current. In this case, J1 and J3 are al Gate turn-o thyristor
ready forward-biased....
Insulated-gate bipolar transistor

Application of SCRs

SCRs are mainly used in devices where the control of high

power, possibly coupled with high voltage, is demanded.

Integrated gate-commutated thyristor

Thyristor
TRIAC

3
Voltage regulator
Snubber
Crowbar (circuit)
DIAC
BJT

6.2

References

[1] Ward, Jack. The Early History of the Silicon Controlled

Rectier. p. 6. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
[2] Christiansen, Donald; Alexander, Charles K. (2005);
Standard Handbook of Electrical Engineering (5th ed.).
McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-138421-9
[3] International Electrotechnical Commission 60747-6 standard
[4] Dorf, Richard C., editor (1997), Electrical Engineering
Handbook (2nd ed.). CRC Press, IEEE Press, Ron Powers Publisher, ISBN 0-8493-8574-1
[5] Ward, Jack. The Early History of the Silicon Controlled
Rectier. p. 7. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
[6] http://www.daenotes.com/electronics/
industrial-electronics/silicon-controlled-rectifiers-scr

Further reading
ON Semiconductor (November 2006). Thyristor
Theory and Design Considerations (PDF) (rev.1,
HBD855/D ed.). p. 240.
G. K. Mithal. Industrial and Power Electronics.
K. B. Khanchandani. Power Electronics.

External links
SCR at AllAboutCircuits
SCR Circuit Design

9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

Text

Silicon controlled rectier Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_controlled_rectifier?oldid=748424598 Contributors: Rjstott,

Maury Markowitz, Waveguy, Ronz, GRAHAMUK, Charles Matthews, Saltine, Taxman, Omegatron, Dcsohl, AnthonyQBachler, RedWolf,
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Atlant, Velella, Wtshymanski, Voxadam, BillC, Triddle, MrSomeone, BD2412, Chetandandgey, Wegsjac, GnniX, BjKa, Krishnavedala,
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9.2

Images

File:Thyristor.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Thyristor.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors:

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provided. Riemann~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).
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9.3

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