Electrical circuit with a high-frequency thyristor fired by blocking leakage current

摘要

A high frequency, high voltage thyristor and an associated circuit arrangement and method of operating the circuit are disclosed. The thyristor, which is capable of switching frequencies above 10 kHz and forward blocking voltages in excess of 500 V. includes an inter-digitated emitter-gate structure, a control zone in contact with the gate and a base zone that is less doped than the control zone. The base zone of the thyristor includes first and second layers of different doping concentrations. The circuit arrangement includes thyristors of the type described arranged in pairs and shunted by antiparallel diodes. According to the method of the invention, the thyristor is not fired by applying potential to the gate, but by holding the thyristor in a forward blocking state and then opening the gate circuit or reversing the gate voltage.