GATE TURN-OFF THYRISTOR AND POWER CONVERTER DEVICE USING THE SAME

摘要

A gate turn-off thyristor comprising a semiconductor pellet (20) having a cathode electrode and a gate electrode formed on its surface, and a package housing the pellet having an auxiliary cathode electrode (26) and a gate lead (16) connected to a gate circuit. A gate current path comprises a plurality of conductors, including the gate lead and the auxialiary cathode electrode in the package, in which the gate current flows in the conductors in opposite directions. This makes it possible to decrease the inductance of the gate current path in the package, to prevent inductance from varying in the passage and, hence, to control an increased amount of current by GTO.