3D TCAD analysis of the effect on dI/dt of cathode shorts in Phase Controlled Thyristors

This work presents a comprehensive overview of role played by cathode shorts in Phase Controlled Thyristors (PCTs), combining large scale 3D TCAD simulations and experimental data. The impact of shorts on breakdown voltage (BV), dV/dt and on-state voltage (VT) is reviewed, discussing tradeoffs and optimization in device design based on the placement of the shorts. Moreover, the present work utilizes large scale 3D simulations of Phase Controlled Thyristors to shed more light on the impact of shorting patterns on the dI/dt of PCTs. The use of complex meshes with a realistic short pattern and ad-hoc post-processing techniques offer additional insight on phenomena that have been treated mainly with simplified analytical models [1][2][3] or approximate numerical methods [4], allowing for improved device design.