General Electric Company

James E McIntyre, Deceased

Dante E Piccone

Leroy B Major

This GTO thyristor comprises: (i) a cathode layer that is divided into a large number of cathode-layer fingers, (ii) a gate layer contiguous with the fingers, with a PN junction J1 between each finger and the gate layer, (iii) a cathode electrode on each finger, and (iv) a gate electrode on the gate layer having portions surrounding the fingers disposed in spaced relation to the fingers. Turn-off of the GTO thyristor is effected by forcing a turn-off current to flow between the cathode electrode of each finger and the gate electrode through the associated PN junction J1. This PN junction at each finger has a centrally-located region that is characterized by an avalanche voltage that is substantially lower than the avalanche voltage that characterizes this junction in the region of the junction surrounding the centrally-located region, and this relatively lower avalanche voltage enhances the current turn-off capabilities of the GTO thyristor.

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late of Crum Lynn, PA, United States of America

James E McIntyre, Deceased