PARAMETER LIST FOR COMMON THYRISTORS

ABSOLUTE RATINGS PARAMETERS

PARAMETER NAME AND DESCRIPTION
Repetitive Peak Off-state Voltage
VDRM This is the maximum instantaneous value of the off-state voltage which occurs across a
thyristor, including all repetitive transient voltages and excluding all non-repetitive transient
voltages.
Repetitive Peak Reverse Off-state Voltage
This is the maximum instantaneous value of the reverse voltage which occurs across the
VRRM
thyristor, including all repetitive transient voltages and excluding all non-repetitive transient
voltages.
Non-repetitive Peak Off-state Voltage
VDSM / VRSM This is the maximum peak voltage allowed under pulse conditions across the device. It is
specific for pulse durations lower or equal to 10ms.This parameter guarantees the ruggedness
of the TRIAC in case of fast line transients exceeding the specified VDRM / VRRM value.
On-state Voltage
VT
It is the principal voltage when the thyristor is in the on state.
On-state Current
IT
It is the principal current when the thyristor is in the on state.
On-state RMS Current
IT(RMS) This is the maximum rms current allowed in the device for a specified case temperature (T c), or
ambient temperature (Ta) or lead temperature (Tl), depending on the type of package.
Average on-state Current
IT(AV) This parameter is only defined for SCRs. This is the allowed maximum average current in the
SCR at a specified case temperature (Tc), or ambient temperature (Ta) or lead temperature (Tl),
depending on the type of package.
Repetitive Peak On-state Current
ITRM This is the maximum allowable repetitive peak current for a specified pulse duration at a
specified case, ambient or lead temperature and frequency.
Repetitive Peak Off-state Current
IDRM This is the maximum instantaneous value of the off-state current that results from the
application of repetitive peak off-state voltage.
Repetitive Peak Reverse Off-state Current
IRRM This is the maximum instantaneous value of the reverse current resulting from the application of
repetitive peak reverse voltage.
Surge On-state Current (Non-repetitive On-state Current)
This is the maximum peak on-state current of short duration allowed in the device under pulse
conditions or specified waveshape.
ITSM
For TRIACs, it is defined for a single full cycle sine wave of 20ms corresponding to the 50Hz
mains, and 16.6ms for the 60 Hz mains.
If the absolute rating is exceeded, the component may be damaged
Critical Rate of Rise of On-state Current
di/dt Maximum value of the rate-of-rise of on-state current that a thyristor can withstand without
harmful effect. Above this limit, the SCR or TRIAC may be damaged
RMS Surge (Non-repetitive) On-state Fusing Current
To protect the device, the I²t rating of the fuse used in series with it must be lower than this
specified value. It is the recommended value for fuse-protection (10ms overcurrent duration).
This parameter is linked to the ITSM parameter as defined below:
I²t
2
2 ( I TSM )
I t= xt p
2
With tp is the duration of full-cycle sinewave.
Storage and operating junction temperatures
The storage temperature range is the range in which the device can be stored (shipping,
Tstg, TJ handling, storage, etc.), without working.
The operating junction temperature range is the range at which the junction can work without
damage.
IGM Peak Gate Current
This is the maximum peak current allowed through gate and cathode, defined for a 20µs pulse

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 duration.
If the absolute rating is exceeded, the component may be damaged.
Average gate power dissipation
This is the maximum average power that can be dissipated by the gate junction or the value of
PG(AV) gate power which may be dissipated between the gate and main terminal 1 (or cathode)
averaged over a full cycle.
If the absolute rating is exceeded, the component may be damaged.
Peak Gate Power Dissipation
PGM This is the maximum power which may be dissipated between the gate and main terminal 1 for
TRIAC (or cathode for SCR) for a specified time duration.
Peak reverse gate voltage
VRGM This parameter is only defined for SCRs. It is the maximum reverse voltage than can be
applied across gate and cathode terminals, without risk of destruction of the gate to cathode
junction.
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS PARAMETERS
Gate Trigger Current
IGT This is the current to apply between gate and cathode of SCR (or gate and electrode A1 for
TRIAC) to turn-on the device. This parameter defines the sensitivity of the component.
Gate Trigger Voltage
VGT This is the voltage to apply across gate and cathode of SCR (or gate and electrode A1 for
TRIAC) to produce the gate trigger current.
Non-triggering Gate Voltage
VGD VGD is the maximum voltage which can be applied across gate and cathode (or gate and
electrode A1 for TRIAC) without causing undesired turn-on.
Holding current
IH This is the minimum current level circulating through anode and cathode of SCR (or A2 and A1
for a TRIAC), which is required to maintain the thyristor in the on state, even without gate
current.
Latching current
This is the required minimum current level circulating through anode and cathode of SCR (or
IL
A2 and A1 for a TRIAC) to maintain the thyristor in the on state immediately after the switching
from off state to on state has occurred and the triggering signal has been removed.
Critical Rate-of-Rise of Off-state Voltage (Static dv/dt)
dv/dt Minimum value of the rate-of-rise of principal voltage which will cause switching from the off
state to the on state.
Critical Rate of Decrease of Commutating On-state Current
(di/dt)c This is the maximum rate of decrease of the anode current allowed to turn the TRIAC off.
Above this value, the TRIAC can remains ON in next reverse polarity.
Critical Rate-of-rise of Commutation Voltage of a Triac (Commutating dv/dt)
Minimum value of the rate-of-rise of principal voltage which will cause switching from the off
(dv/dt)c
state to the on state immediately following on-state current conduction in the opposite quadrant.
Above this limit, the TRIAC may remain ON without any gate current.
Breakover voltage
This is the voltage when the device current reaches its I BO level (no gate current). Above this
VBO point, the device will turn on in breakover mode. (This is the principal voltage at the breakover
point)
NOTE: Sometimes forward breakover voltage is represented by VBR(F).
Breakover current
IBO
This is the principal current at the breakover point.
Peak On-state Voltage Drop
VTM This is the voltage across the device while it is on-state. It is specified at the peak current
corresponding to the IT(RMS) current of the device.
Peak Forward Voltage Drop
VF
This is the voltage across a diode when the diode is conducting.
Vto / Rd Threshold Voltage / Dynamic On-state Resistance
These two parameters are used to calculate the instantaneous voltage drop according to the
relation VT = Vto + Rd x IT.
They are also useful to calculate the power dissipation of the device:
For SCRs:

P=V ¿ ( I T ( AV ) ) + R d ( I T ( RMS) )2
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 For TRIACs:

2 √2 2
P= V ¿ ( I T ( AV ) ) + R d ( I T ( RMS) )
p
Gate-controlled Turn-on Time (or simply Turn-on time)
This is the time interval between a specified point at the beginning of the gate pulse and the
tgt instant when the principal voltage (current) has dropped to a specified low value (or risen to a
specified high value) during switching of a Thyristor from off state to the on state by a gate
pulse.
Circuit-commutated Turn-off Time (or simply Turn-off Time)
This is the time interval between the instant when the principal current has decreased to zero
tq
after external switching of the principal voltage circuit and the instant when the thyristor is
capable of supporting a specified principal voltage without turning on.
Delay Time
td This is the time between the beginning of the gate current pulse (10% of its peak value) and
the beginning of the decrease of the A2-A1 or A-K voltage (90% of its peak value).
Rise time
tρ For a DIAC, this is the time between 10% and 90% of the peak current generated when the
component discharges a specified capacitor into a specified load.
Breakdown voltage
VBR
This is the voltage across the device, at off-state, measured at a specified current level.
Temperature coefficient
αT This is the positive temperature coefficient of the breakover voltage. This parameter is
generally specified in percentage, for specific devices.
Output voltage
VO For a DIAC, this is the peak voltage across a 20Ω resistor in series with the device during the
discharge of a specified capacitor.
Dynamic breakover voltage
For a DIAC, this is the dynamic variation of its voltage at triggering. It is the difference between
ΔV VBO and the voltage for a 10mA current.

Δ V = VBO - VDIAC(10mA)
DIACs feature a negative-resistance triggered characteristic.
Junction to Ambient Thermal Resistance
This is the thermal resistance between junction and ambient, when the device is used without
RTH(j-a) / RθJA heatsink. This is also the temperature difference between the thyristor junction and ambient
divided by the power dissipation causing the temperature difference under conditions of
thermal equilibrium.
NOTE: Ambient is the point at which temperature does not change as the result of dissipation.
Junction to Case Thermal Resistance
RTH(j-c) / RθJC Temperature difference between the thyristor junction and the Thyristor case divided by the
power dissipation causing the temperature difference under conditions of thermal equilibrium.
For TRIACs and SCRs, this value is respectively specified for AC and DC operations.
Junction to Lead Thermal Resistance
RTH(j-l)
This is the thermal resistance between junction and leads.

Prepared by: DREXGARCIA DOE_COECSA

Prepared by: DREXGARCIA DOE_COECSA
Prepared by: DREXGARCIA DOE_COECSA