Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Introduction to Thyristor:
In Our study, We learn the diode, transistor,capacitor etc Electronics devices
which will help in the field of electronics. Now, to understand the Scr ,diac,Triac
first we have to know the term Thyristor. In general, Thyristor is a semiconductor
device having three or more junctions. A semiconductor component that is
unidirectional like a diode, but is switched like a transistor. It is widely used to
control high currents and voltages in motors, lighting, heating and power
applications. Once turned on at the gate.

These is the physical difference between the diode,thyristor,and transistor. Diode

will made by diffusing the n-type and p-type material. While transistor will made
by diffusing two back to back diode. And thyristor will made by diffusing like one
transistor and one diode. So, it serves the purpose of diode and transistor also.

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

SCR(Silicon controlled Rectifier):

As its name suggests its main function is to convert ac
voltage to dc voltage when gate pulse is applied. The Silicon Controlled Rectifier
(one type of thyristor) is a four layer device, PNPN from anode (A) to cathode
(here labeled "C", sometimes also labeled "K"). An SCR is like a junction transistor
with a fourth layer and therefore a total of three P-N junctions. Meanwhile, a
third terminal, the gate (G), makes an SCR function like an odd hybrid of transistor
and diode.

Symbol:

History of SCR:
SCR will be invented in 1957,an SCR can be used as a controlled switch to perform
various functions such as rectification, inversion, and regulation of power flow.

SCR was first applied in Japan in the mid-1970s and later introduced in Europe
during the 1980s. At an early stage, ALSTOM followed the development of the
SCR technology in Japan and entered into cooperation with Hitachi Zosen and
Electric Power Development Company (EPDC). Later agreements with Babcock

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Hitachi KK, one of the largest SCR suppliers in the world, enabled us to gain access
to the SCR technology at an early stage.

From the 1980s, ALSTOM Power built and operated several pilot plants to develop
the SCR technology for European conditions and gain knowledge from different
processes to develop full competence as an SCR process supplier. Another major
contribution from ALSTOM to the further development of the SCR process is
expert knowledge in fluid dynamics, creating optimum conditions by new
proprietary mixing systems for completeness of the chemical reactions, as well as
minimum ducting and attractive plant layouts for different applications.

To benefit from the development of catalysts with improved performance

possibilities, ALSTOM has continued to test different catalysts in pilot and full
scale applications for both old and new processes, such as the combustion of
biofuel and waste. This makes it possible to combine our process experience in a
multitude of gas cleaning processes with the requirements for the best SCR
performance.

ALSTOM's broad experience from commercial reference plants in different fields

of SCR applications ensures that we can meet our customers’ high expectations
for performance, reliability and operating economy.

Features of SCR :
 It is latching type device
 It can handle a very large power.
 It is a current control device, because the gate current controls the SCR.
 It acts as a open or closed switch.
 The on state voltage drop is very low.
 It can handle thousand of ampere of current.

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Construction :

The basic structure of a SCR is as shown in fig. It is a four layer p-n-p-n device,
with three terminal brought out for the users, they are Anode, cathode, and Gate.
The gate terminal is the control terminal that can turn on the device whenever
required.

Due to the four layer structure there are three junctions j1, j2, j3. It is essential
terminal is added to it. The direction of forward anode current and voltage across
the SCR are shown in the figure.

The direction of the anode and gate current in the fig. are the conventional
current directions. It is clearly indicates that SCR is a unidirectional device and
also that gate current can only be positive.

Now, It is clear that it is essentially that an ordinary rectifier and a junction

transistor combined in one unit to form pnpn device.

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V-I characteristic :

Forward characteristic:
When anode is positive w.r.t cathode , the curve between V and I is called the
forward characteristic. If the supply voltage is increased from zero, a point is
reached when the SCR starts conducting. Under this condition the voltage across
SCR suddenly drops as shown by dotted lines and most of the supply voltage
appears across the load resistance RL.

The two outer junctions are forward biased by the voltage , but the inner junction
is reverse biased. As a result, a small current in the gate electrode can turn on a
current between anode and cathode. SCRs are latching devices; once an SCR is
turned on, or "fired," it remains on (i.e., the current will continue to flow) until
the driving voltage between anode and cathode is removed. The minimum anode
- cathode current required to keep the SCR on (once triggered) is called the
holding current, IH.

Reverse characteristic :
When anode is negative w.r.t cathode, the curve between V and I is known as
reverse characteristic. The reverse voltage does come across SCR when it is
operated with a.c. supply. If the reverse voltage is gradually increased , at first the
anode current remains small and at some reverse voltage avalanche breakdown
occurs and the SCR starts conducting heavily in the reverse directions. This
maximum reverse voltage at which SCR starts conducting heavily is known as
reverse breakdown voltage.

An SCR is called a rectifier because (much like a "vanilla" diode) it conducts

current in only direction. It is a unidirectional thyristor, in contrast to a triac. You
can think of an SCR as being a conventional (diode) rectifier, with a gate
controlling forward resistance. Additionally, an SCR can be switched on (in the

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

absense of a gate voltage) by applying enough forward voltage to overcome its

internal resistance. This is normally considered a design limitation, though, and
switching is normally controlled via gate voltage.

Knowing all this, an SCR's characteristic V - I curve then looks like this:

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Testing of SCR :
A rudimentary test of SCR function, or at least terminal identification, may be
performed with an ohmmeter. Because the internal connection between gate and
cathode is a single PN junction, a meter should indicate continuity between these
terminals with the red test lead on the gate and the black test lead on the
cathode like this

All other continuity measurements performed on an SCR will show "open" ("OL"
on some digital multimeter displays). It must be understood that this test is very
crude and does not constitute a comprehensive assessment of the SCR. It is
possible for an SCR to give good ohmmeter indications and still be defective.
Ultimately, the only way to test an SCR is to subject it to a load current.

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If you are using a multimeter with a "diode check" function, the gate-to-cathode
junction voltage indication you get may or may not correspond to what's
expected of a silicon PN junction (approximately 0.7 volts). In some cases, you will
read a much lower junction voltage : mere hundredths of a volt. This is due to an
internal resistor connected between the gate and cathode incorporated within
some SCRs. This resistor is added to make the SCR less susceptible to false
triggering by spurious voltage spikes, from circuit "noise" or from static electric
discharge. In other words, having a resistor connected across the gate-cathode
junction requires that a strong triggering signal (substantial current) be applied to
latch the SCR. This feature is often found in larger SCRs, not on small SCRs. Bear in
mind that an SCR with an internal resistor connected between gate and cathode
will indicate continuity in both directions between those two terminals.

Application:
 DC motor speed control
 AC motor speed control
 Inverter
 Battery charger
 Battery operated vehicles
 High voltage dc transmission
 Uninterrupted power supplies
 Switched mode power supplies
 Relay controls
 Static switches

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DIAC :
Diac is a device used for triggering. It is popularly used as the triggering of the
triac. The DIAC, or diode for alternating current, is a bidirectional trigger diode
that conducts current only after its breakdown voltage has been exceeded
momentarily. When this occurs, the resistance of the diode abruptly decreases,
leading to a sharp decrease in the voltage drop across the diode and, usually, a
sharp increase in current flow through the diode. The diode remains "in
conduction" until the current flow through it drops below a value characteristic
for the device, called the holding current. Below this value, the diode switches
back to its high-resistance (non-conducting) state. When used in AC applications
this automatically happens when the current reverses polarity.

DIACs are also called symmetrical trigger diodes due to the symmetry of their
characteristic curve. Because DIACs are bidirectional devices, their terminals are
not labeled as anode or cathode but as A1 and A2 or MT1 ("Main Terminal") and
MT2.

DIACs are a form of thyristor but without a gate electrode. They are typically used
for triggering both thyristors and TRIACs - a bidirectional member of the thyristor
family. Because of this common usage, many TRIACs contain a built-in DIAC in
series with the TRIAC's "gate" terminal.

Symbol :

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Construction :

The DIAC is basically a two terminal device. It is a parallel inverse combination of

the semiconductor layers that permits triggering in either direction. The diac is
used extensively triggering device for the triac.

The basic structure of the diac are shown in the figure. The two terminals are MT1
& MT2 are called the main terminal.

When MT1 is made positive with respect to the MT2, the conduction will takes
place to the structure p-n-p-n Which is a four layer diode. When MT2 is made
positive with respect to the MT1, the conduction will take place to the structure
p-n-p-n. which is another four layer diode.

The diac can be conduct for both the direction. And the another symbol for the
diac will be the looks like as the transistor which is shown below:
.

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

V-I characteristic :
The characteristic of the diac are shown in the figure.

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

The diac resembles a bipolar transistor with no base connection. The device can
be turn on by either positive or negative half cycle of the ac voltage. For positive
half cycle of the ac voltage , if the applied voltage is less than the forward break
over a very small current called the leakage current flows through the device. This
current is produced due to the drift of the electrons and the holes at the
depletion region and is not sufficient to cause condition. Hence the diac remains
in the practically in the non conducting mode . It is called the blocking state. As
soon as the applied voltage reaches the break over voltage, the device starts the
conducting. The current through the device starts increasing and the voltage
across it starts decreasing. This region is called the “conduction State”. The break
over voltage for the diac remains unchanged as the gate terminal is absent here.

The forward characteristic of the diac is very similar to the four layer diode. The
forward characteristic appears in the first quadrant.

The reverse characteristic appears in the third quadrant. It is similar to the

forward characteristic.

The break over voltage of the diac ranges between 28 volts to 42 volts. The typical
turn on time ranges from 50 to 500nsec. The turn off is much longer upto
100nsec. Diacs have a power handling capability between 300mW to 1W.

Typical Diac voltage and current relationships. Once the voltage exceeds the turn-
on threshold, the device turns on and the voltage rapidly falls while the current
increases.

In this way, their behavior is somewhat similar to (but much more precisely
controlled and taking place at lower voltages than) a neon lamp.

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Application :
 Triggering device for triac phase control circuit
 Light dimmer
 Motor speed control
 Heater control

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Triac :
In the thyristor family , after SCR triac is the most widely used device for power
control. Triac with the large current and voltage ratings are available in the
market.

Symbol :

Construction :

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Triac is the three terminal device, with the terminal named as the MT1, MT2 and
gate. Here the gate terminal is the control terminal.

Triac is the bi directional device it means that current can flow in both the
direction through it. The basic structure of triac are shown in the figure. Its
structure is like that we can say that two scrs are connected in the anti-parallel.
So traic will acts as the switch for both the directions.

Here the gate terminal is the near the MT1 when the gate is open,the triac will
block both the polarities of the voltage across the MT1 and MT2 if the magnitude
of the voltage is less than the break over voltage of the device. It says that triac
will remaining in the off state at that time.

The another structure of the triac will two scr will connected in anti parallel. And
it is shown in the figure below:

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V-I characteristic :

The only difference between scr and triac is that SCR conducts only in the forward
direction where as the triac conduct in both the directions. The other difference in
the operation in the triggering mechnisum. The triac can be turned on by applying
either a positive or negative voltage the gate with respect to terminal MT1.
Whereas the SCR can be triggered only by a positive gate signed.

The characteristic of the triac is same as that of two back to back connected SCRs.
The effect of the gate current is also same it means with increase in the gate
current the breakdown voltage decrease. In the gate current can be positive or
negative whereas in SCR the gate current can be only positive.

As can be seen from the fig it is verymuvh similar to the characteristic of the SCR.
It has been three region of the operation.
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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

 Blocking or off state

 Transition or unstable state
 Conduction or on state

Application :
 Illumination control
 Temperature control
 Liquid level control
 Motor speed control
 Static switch to turn ac power on and off

Comparison :

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

SCR TRIAC
Scr is the uni directional device Triac is the bi directional device
The Gate current can be only positive The Gate current can be positive or
negative
Scr can be operated in only one Triac can be operated in two quadrant
quadrant of V-I characteristic of V-I charactiristics.
Anti parallel SCRs are preferred over Triac is not suitable for power control of
triac for power control of inductive inductive loads but suitable for the
loads. They can be successfully used for resistive loads.
the resistive loads as well.
UJT is used for triggering the SCR DIAC is used for triggering the Triac

Symbol : Symbol :

DIAC TRIAC
It is two terminal device It is three terminal device
Break over voltage can not be Break over voltage can be controlled by
controlled adjusting the gate current
Diac is a low power device Triac is the high power device
It is used as the triggering device fro the It is used in the application like fan
triac control light dimmer etc.

Symbol : Symbol :

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 Introduction to SCR, DIAC, TRIAC

Conclusion :
After the all the discussion we will conclude that SCR ,TRIAC, DIAC are useful for
the power electronics application for controlling purpose.

References :
 Electronics Principle by sanjay Sharma
 Industrial electronics by N.G.Palan
 Principle of electronics V.K.Mehta
 Industrial Electronics by S.k.bhattacharya
 www.allaboutcircuits.com
 www.answers.com

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