Introducing the emitter turn-off thyristor (ETO). Numerical and experimental demonstration of unity turn-off gain capability

The emitter turn-off thyristor (ETO) is a novel hybrid MOS-bipolar high power semiconductor device with the advantages of gate turn-off thyristor's (GTO) high voltage and high current capabilities, and the ease of control of a MOS gate. The introduction of the emitter turn-off technology in the ETO also results in a significantly improved speed and reverse biased safe operating area (RBSOA). Other promising features of the ETO include the high-voltage current saturation capability and on-device current sensing capability. These technological advancements are achieved through the change of fundamental device physics that govern the operation of high power GTO devices through a low cost and efficient packaging technology. Numerical analysis and experimental demonstration of the ETO's unity turn-off gain capability are presented in this paper.