Lecture 10 : Thyristors

The lecture mainly discusses the structures of SCR and GTO, the two prominent members of the thyristor family. The working principle and I-V characteristics of SCR and GTO are also discussed. The turn-on process of the thyristor is discussed in detail using two transistor analogy. Turn-off process of GTO is also explained. Various modifications to SCR and GTO are explored to understand their technology, possible improvements, and trade-offs. Other members of the thyristor family, such as ASCR and LASCR are also briefly discussed.