Series and parallel operation of the emitter turn-off (ETO) thyristor

By dramatically decreasing the storage time, the emitter turn-off thyristor (ETO) has a very good match in storage time. Storage time dispersion of less than /spl plusmn/100 ns is normal for ETOs and can be further reduced through adjustment of the emitter switch gate resistance. Thus, the capacitance required for dynamic voltage balancing in the ETO series connection is significantly reduced. Uniform current sharing for parallel-connected ETOs is also guaranteed at the device level through the open-base p-n-p turn-off mechanism. The current-balancing inductance can be essentially removed. Theoretical analysis and experimental results of 53-mm ETOs are presented.