6 kV/4 kA gate commutated turn-off thyristor with operation DC voltage of 3.6 kV

Recently, a 4.5 kV/4 kA gate commutated turn-off thyristor (GCT) has been successfully introduced to the market. The GCT is a new high power device which has not only the same high blocking capability and low on-state voltage as the GTO, but also the same high turn-off performance as the IGBT. In order to ascertain the possibility of GCT use in higher voltage areas, a 6 kV/4 kA GCT with a DC operating voltage of 3.6 kV (long term DC stability of 100 FIT) has been developed by the adoption of the PT structure and local lifetime control, and has been evaluated. The results achieved indicated that the GCT may become a main high power device for high power applications.