Power Semiconductor Devices, Power semiconductor

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Power Semiconductor Devices

  • The power semiconductor devices can be divided broadly into five different types as shown in chart.
  • Out of these devices the Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) was the first device to be developed in 1957. The other semiconductor devices became available after 1970.
    Power Semiconductor Devices

1. Power semiconductor

(a)  Power diodes

(b)  Thyristors 

(i)  SCR

(ii) GTO

(iii) RCT

(iv) SITH

(v)  GATT

(vi) LASCR

(vii) MCT

(viii) TRIAC

(c)  Power transistor

(d)  Power MOSFET

(e)  IGBT and SIT

Need of High Power Semiconductor Devices

  • For all the applications mentioned earlier we need to use the devices which can handle a large power, large current and withstand very high voltages.
  • For almost all these high power applications, we have to use these devices as switches. That means the device should be either fully on or fully off. Operation as a switch will reduce the power dissipation in these switches to a great extent.
  • Thus we need power semiconductor devices which can be operated as switches. All the devices mentioned in chart are capable of doing this.

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