A new MOS-gated power thyristor structure with turn-off achieved by controlling the base resistance

A new MOS-gated power thyristor structure, called the base-resistance-controlled thyristor (BRT), is described. In this structure, the turn-off of a thyristor with an N-drift region is achieved by reducing the resistance of the P-base region under MOS-gate control. In contrast with previous devices, a P-channel MOSFET integrated in the N-drift region is used for this purpose. It has been shown, by two-dimensional numerical simulations and experimental measurements on devices fabricated using a seven-mask process, that devices with 600-V forward blocking capabilities can be achieved with a forward drop close to that for a thyristor. The ability to turn off the thyristor current flow has been verified over a broad range of current densities.<
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