A NEW RANGE OF REVERSE CONDUCTING GATE-COMMUTATED THYRISTORS FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE, MEDIUM POWER APPLICATIONS

Abstract. Until recently, the Gate Commutated Thyristor (GCT) was regarded as the ideal device for very high power applications, allowing 3/6 kA devices (with/without snubber) to be produced from 4 " silicon wafers, with voltage ratings of up to 6 kV. Lower currents, it was felt were best handled by convenient modular IGBT devices. However, the thrust for reliable and efficient drives operating at dc link voltages of 2 to 10 kV, albeit at currents of only a few hundred amps, have led to the development of a complete range of reverse conducting snubberless GCTs from 200 A to 3000 A with 4.5 and 5.5 kV ratings. The ratings and characteristics of this new product range are presented