A 6000 V, 1500 A light activated thyristor

A high-voltage light activated thyristor for high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) coverters has been developed. An excellent trade-off between dv/dt capability and optical triggering sensitivity has been achieved by irradiating the light through the thin n-emitter layer of the gate thyristor. The developed 80 mm diameter thyristor has the blocking voltage of 6000 V, average on-state current 1500 A, the dv/dt capability of more than 2000 V/µs, the minimum triggering light power of less than 10 mW.