General Electric Company

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Armand P Ferro

Victor A Temple

Loren H Walker

Bruno F Kurz, Deceased

John D Harnden, Jr

John P Walden

Michael H McLaughlin

Harold A Gauper, Jr

A thyristor is provided having high gate sensitivity in combination with high dv/dt ratings. An amplifying gate structure is utilized having a pilot thyristor region including a first portion characterized by a first extent and at least one projection of said first portion extending therefrom and having a lateral extent greater than the extent of said first portion; and means substantially isolating said pilot thyristor region from the remainder of the device which means surround said first portion and the sides of said projection.

Amplifying gate thyristor having high gate sensitivity and high dv/dt

The invention is a package for radiation triggered semiconductor devices and a method for directing radiation to the radiation receiving region of a semiconductor device mounted in such a package. The package is of the type which has a side wall formed of an electrically insulating material surrounding a central cavity, and top and bottom walls formed of conductive material. The package is hermetically sealable and constructed to withstand externally applied compression. The means and method for radiation triggering of a semiconductor device in the package include optical conduit means extending through and hermetically sealed to the insulating side wall of the enclosure. Radiation is caused to enter the package along a first optical path in said optical conduit means. A prism or other similar means in the cavity redirects the radiation from the first optical path toward a predetermined region in the cavity to trigger a radiation triggered semiconductor device mounted in the package.

Package for radiation triggered semiconductor device and method

Efficient starting of solenoidal electric field discharge lamps is effected when a primary voltage exceeds a critical transition level. A starting potential may be applied to electrodes on the external surface of the lamp which are capacitatively coupled to a fill gas. Alternately, the electrodes may be disposed within the lamp envelope. Optimally, the starting electrodes are disposed along the axis of an annular transformer core at opposite ends of a tunnel region.

Starting electrodes for solenoidal electric field discharge lamps

Efficient starting of solenoidal electric field discharge lamps is effected with a start winding disposed on the same core with the ballast reactance. This placement of the start winding possesses certain advantages over other methods of lamp starting, and in particular it facilitates hot restart of the lamp.

Start winding for solenoidal electric field discharge lamps

Solenoidal electric field lamps are effectively dimmed with no loss in lamp efficiency by powering the lamps with high frequency current pulses and periodically interrupting the current pulses in a time ratio fashion in order to reduce the average power being supplied to the lamp. The lamp may be dimmed from 100 to 0 percent of full power in an efficient manner as long as the pulse interruption period is less than the plasma deionization time of the lamp.

SEF Lamp dimming

The evaporating area of a heat pipe or thermosiphon evaporator is used as the thermal sink for one face of an electrically isolated substrate upon the opposite face of which are mounted and interconnected one or more power semiconductors and other components requiring cooling. Both sides of semiconductor devices mounted on the isolating substrate may be cooled while allowing each of a plurality of different combinations of electrical devices and/or interconnections to be achieved.

Power module with isolated substrates cooled by integral

The voltage drop in induction ionized lamps is reduced by utilization of annular magnetic cores of inwardly convex cross section. Core power dissipation may be minimized by use of cores having a circular cross section. Lamp voltage drop may further be reduced by eccentrically positioning the core within a substantially globular lamp enevelope.

Core configuration for induction ionized lamps

Zener diodes of selectively variable breakdown voltages ranging from a few voltages to several hundred volts are fabricated in monolithic integrated circuits by locating the edge of a P-N junction at the surface of a substrate within the gradient region of P-type diffusion. Methods for making the same are also described.

Method of making zener diodes with selectively variable breakdown

The distribution of turns in the primary winding of an induction ionized discharge lamp varies as a function of angular position on a toroidal core. The turns are wound in proportion to the adjoining secondary plasma flux density. Local matching of flux linkages per ampere reduces leakage flux between the primary and secondary and thereby improves lamp coupling and reduces electromagnetic interference.

Spatially distributed windings to improve plasma coupling in induction

A light triggered thyristor is provided including an electrode surrounding a gate area which is sensitive to radiation impinging thereon to turn on the device. Trimable resistor means are connected between said electrode and the cathode of the device to allow adjustment of the turn-on time of the device to compensate for processing tolerances during the manufacture of the device.

Light triggered thyristor having controlled turn on delay

A triple diffused interdigitated NPN transistor formed in an isolated N-epitaxial pocket of an otherwise standard NPN bipolar junction isolated integrated circuit. The N-type diffused collector pocket in the N-epitaxial layer lowers collector resistance of the triple diffused NPN device.

Bipolar transistor structure having low saturation resistance

An electric field controlled semiconductor diode comprises a semiconductor substrate with a uniform anode injecting region formed in one major surface of the substrate and a current controlling surface grid formed in the other major surface. The interstices of the grid include a cathode region of high injection efficiency. Means for controlling flow of electrical current between the anode and cathode regions is also described.

Electric field controlled diode with a current controlling surface grid

No-load losses normally associated with transformer-isolated inverter circuits employing high frequency switching devices are substantially eliminated by electrically short-circuiting the load terminals of the inverter to quickly and efficiently shut down inverter operation and thereby reduce the no-load losses to at least the fall-back current losses of the inverter.

Method and apparatus for reducing inverter no-load losses

A self-protected thyristor structure is provided having an auxiliary gate region peripherally located with respect to the semiconductor device so as to provide for the controlled turn-on of the device at the edge thereof in response to increasing edge current densities at the onset of avalanche breakdown. An auxiliary pilot thyristor is provided substantially surrounding the main thyristor structure and including an annular gate electrode surrounding the auxiliary pilot thyristor structure to insure that turn-on occurs substantially simultaneously throughout the extent of the pilot thyristor region.

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Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Armand P Ferro