Licentia Patent-verwaltungs Gmbh

Karl-Julius Finck

Dieter Silber

Wolfgang Winter

Marius Fullmann

Marius Fullman

A controllable semiconductor rectifier which is subject to an interference potential and controllable by a control power comprises a first emitter layer, a first main electrode connected to the first emitter layer, a control base layer connected to the first emitter layer, a main base layer connected to the control base layer and a second emitter layer connected to the main base layer. A connection is established between a portion of the control base layer and the first emitter layer for applying a compensating potential to the first emitter layer for compensating the interference potential and a limiting non-linear component is connected between a portion of the control base layer and the first emitter layer for limiting the interference potential.

Controllable semiconductor rectifier with interference potential

A light fired thyristor including a semiconductor body having four zones of alternatingly opposite conductivity types constituting a first or cathode emitter zone, a control base zone adjacent thereto, a main base zone and a second or anode emitter zone with the cathode emitter zone being formed within the control base zone at one major surface of the semiconductor body and being divided into a plurality of separate regions of which one serves as the firing region of the first emitter zone to fire the thyristor in response to impinging radiation energy. The firing region of the first emitter zone is provided in part with a first ohmic contact which is ohmically connected to a further ohmic contact connected to the control base region adjacent the edge of the semiconductor body. The remaining regions of the first emitter zone are provided with a cathode contact which simultaneously contacts the portions of the control base zone between these regions and forms short circuits with the control base zone. Consequently with interfering currents which are approximately uniformly distributed over the thyristor area, an increase in potential is produced in the firing region of the first emitter zone which increase is in the same direction as the increase in potential in the firing region of the control base zone and the likelihood of a faulty firing of the thyristor is reduced.

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Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany

Karl-Julius Finck