1 Device basics -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 SCR current-voltage characteristics -- 1.3 Basic SCR construction features -- 1.4 Gate triggering -- 1.5 Holding current -- 1.6 Triggering a shorted emitter SCR -- 2 Current Gain -- 2.1 Variation of current gain with current -- 2.2 Current gain measurement -- 3 Thyristor Maximum Voltage Blocking Capability -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Maximum forward-blocking capability VBO -- 3.3 Maximum reverse-blocking capability -- 3.4 The punch-through condition -- 3.5 Temperature dependence -- 3.6 Surface breakdown -- 3.7 Reverse-conducting thyristor -- 4 Some High-Injection-Level Effects -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Ambipolar mobility and diffusivity -- 4.3 Mobility and diffusivity versus current density -- 4.4 Lifetime at high injection levels -- 4.5 High-low junctions at high current densities -- 4.6 Current gain fall-off -- 5 The Gate-Triggered SCR Turn-On Transient -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Charge-control model of a bipolar transistor -- 5.3 Charge-control model of a p-n-p-n structure -- 5.4 Delay time -- 5.5 Rise time with a resistive load -- 5.6 Rise time with inductive load -- 5.7 Propagation of the on state -- 6 The Nongated, Undesirable Thyristor Triggering -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Thermal turn on -- 6.3 Light triggering -- 6.4 Voltage triggering -- 7 Thyristor Voltage Drop in the On State -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Herlet's closed-form p-i-n diode analysis -- 7.3 Kokosa's numerical analysis -- 7.4 Numerical analysis of Cornu and Lietz -- 7.5 Otsuka's forward-drop analysis -- 8 SCR Turn-off Transient -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Storage time ts1 -- 8.3 Fall time tf1 -- 8.4 Storage time ts2 -- 8.5 Fall time tf2 -- 8.6 Effect of the gate current -- 8.7 Simplified approaches -- 8.8 Experimental data -- 9 Gate Turn-off Thyristor (GTO) -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Plasma-pinching mechanism -- 9.3 Turn-off velocity -- 9.4 Pinching (focusing) time and turn-off gain -- 9.5 Maximum anode and gate currents -- 9.6 Plasma-pinching in the ungated n base -- 9.7 Theoretical model compared with experiment -- 10 Thyristor di/dt and Current Pulse Capability -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Test circuit for gate-triggered di/dt -- 10.3 Initial turn-on region -- 10.4 di/dt capability of the gated and nongated turn on -- 10.5 Localized temperature rise for a short single pulse -- 10.5 Temperature rise for long or recurrent pulses -- 10.7 Temperature rise and transient thermal impedance during turn-on spreading -- 10.8 Methods of increasing the initial turn-on area -- 10.9 Emitter gate -- 10.10 Emitter shorts versus the turn-on time -- 10.11 Beam-fired thyristor -- 10.12 Field-controlled thyristor -- 11 Bidirectional p-n-p-n Switches -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Bidirectional p-n-p-n diode switch -- 11.3 Current distribution across a forward-biased junction bounded by resistive layers (current-crowding effect) -- 11.4 Junction gate -- 11.5 Remote gate -- 11.6 Triac -- 12 Commutation of Triacs -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Current and voltage waveforms during commutation -- 12.3 Role of stored charges in triac commutation -- 12 A Recovery of a p+ -n abrupt-junction diode -- 12.5 Snubber networks for dv/dt suppression -- 13 Silicon Surface -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Ideal MOS diode -- 13.3 Silicon surf ace states and charges -- 14 Avalanche Breakdown Enhancement by Mesa Contouring -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Positive and negative bevel angles -- 14.3 Theoretical approach to the field computation in the depletion region -- 14.4 Negative bevel angle -- 14.5 Positively beveled junctions -- 14.6 Novel approaches to beveling -- 15 Planar-Junction Avalanche Breakdown Improvement -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Diffused guard ring -- 15.3 Junction field plate, annular ring, and channel stopper -- 15.4 Resistive field plate -- 15.5 p-n junction with field limiting rings -- 15.6 Etch-contoured planar junctions -- 16 Thyristor Thermal Response -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 Heat generation and absorption in the forward-biased thyristor -- 16.3 Determination of junction temperature -- 16.4 Generalized concept of thermal impedance -- 16.5 Device temperature response to an arbitrary power waveshape -- 16.6 Thyristor thermal impedance measurement -- 16.7 Computer-aided thermal analysis -- 17 Thyristor Circuits Basics -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 SCR and triac control and triggering methods -- 17.3 Thyristor triggering devices -- 17.4 Commutation -- 17.5 Effect of an impedance between the gate and cathode of a thyristor -- 17.6 Thyristor protection circuits -- 17.7 Some thyristor applications.