There are three modes of operation for an SCR depending upon the biasing given to it:

1. Forward blocking mode (off state)

2. Forward conduction mode (on state)
3. Reverse blocking mode (off state)
Forward blocking mode[edit]
In this mode of operation, the anode (+) is given a positive voltage while the cathode (−) is given
a negative voltage, keeping the gate at zero (0) potential i.e. disconnected. In this case
junction J1and J3 are forward-biased, while J2 is reverse-biased, allowing only a small leakage
current from the anode to the cathode. When the applied voltage reaches the breakover value
for J2, then J2 undergoes avalanche breakdown. At this breakover voltage J2 starts conducting,
but below breakover voltage J2 offers very high resistance to the current and the SCR is said to
be in the off state.

Forward conduction mode[edit]

An SCR can be brought from blocking mode to conduction mode in two ways: Either by
increasing the voltage between anode and cathode beyond the breakover voltage, or by applying
a positive pulse at the gate. Once the SCR starts conducting, no more gate voltage is required to
maintain it in the ON state. The minimum current necessary to maintain the SCR in the ON state
on removal of the gate voltage is called the latching current.
There are two ways to turn it off:

1. Reduce the current through it below a minimum value called the holding current,
or
2. With the gate turned off, short-circuit the anode and cathode momentarily with a
push-button switch or transistor across the junction.
Reverse blocking mode[edit]
When a negative voltage is applied to the anode and a positive voltage to the cathode, the SCR
is in reverse blocking mode, making J1 and J3 reverse biased and J2 forward biased. The device
behaves as two diodes connected in series. A small leakage current flows. This is the reverse
blocking mode. If the reverse voltage is increased, then at critical breakdown level, called the
reverse breakdown voltage (VBR), an avalanche occurs at J1 and J3 and the reverse current
increases rapidly. SCRs are available with reverse blocking capability, which adds to the forward
voltage drop because of the need to have a long, low-doped P1 region. Usually, the reverse
blocking voltage rating and forward blocking voltage rating are the same. The typical application
for a reverse blocking SCR is in current-source inverters.
An SCR incapable of blocking reverse voltage is known as an asymmetrical SCR,
abbreviated ASCR. It typically has a reverse breakdown rating in the tens of volts. ASCRs are
used where either a reverse conducting diode is applied in parallel (for example, in voltage-
source inverters) or where reverse voltage would never occur (for example, in switching power
supplies or DC traction choppers).
Asymmetrical SCRs can be fabricated with a reverse conducting diode in the same package.
These are known as RCTs,

What is Holding Current Latching Current

In a silicon controlled rectifier, load is connected in series with anode.

The anode is always kept at positive potential w.r.t. cathode.

The working of SCR can be studied under the following two heads:

         1. When gate is open:

Fig.2 shows the SCR circuit with gate open i.e. no voltage applied to the
gate.
Silicon Controlled Rectifier
(SCR) | Construction & Working
SCR BY SASMITA JULY 31, 2015

Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)

In this article we are going to discuss the construction and working of an
silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) in detail.

The silicon controlled rectifier ( SCR ) is a three terminal semiconductor

switching device which can be used as a controlled switch to perform various
functions such as rectification, inversion and regulation of power flow.
 An SCR can handle currents upto several thousand amperes and voltages
upto more than 1kV.

The SCR has appeared in the market under different names such as thyristor,
thyrode transistor.
Like the diode, SCR is a unidirectional device,i.e. it will only conduct current
in one direction only, but unlike a diode, the SCR can be made to operate as
either an open-circuit switch or as a rectifying diode depending upon how its
gate is triggered.

In other words, SCR can operate only in the switching mode and cannot be
used for amplification.

Hence, it is extensively used in switching d.c. and a.c., rectifying a.c. to give
controlled output, converting d.c. into a.c. etc.
Constuctional Details of SCR
When a pn junction is added to a junction transistor, the resulting three pn
junctions device is called a silicon controlled rectifier.

Fig.1(i) shows the construction of an SCR.

Fig.1 (i)

It is clear that it is essentially an ordinary rectifier (pn) and a junction

transistor  (npn) combined in one unit to form pnpn device.

Three terminals are taken; one from the outer p-type material called anode A,
second from the outer layer of n-type material called cathode K and the third
from the base of transistor section and is called gate G.

In the normal operating conditions of SCR, anode is held at high positive

potential w.r.t. cathode and gate at small positive potential w.r.t. cathode.

Fig.1 (ii) shows the symbol of SCR.

Fig.1 (ii)

Working of SCR
In a silicon controlled rectifier, load is connected in series with anode.

The anode is always kept at positive potential w.r.t. cathode.

The working of SCR can be studied under the following two heads:
         1. When gate is open:
Fig.2 shows the SCR circuit with gate open i.e. no voltage applied to the
gate.

                                               

                                                                                                          Fig.2

Under this condition, junction J2 is reverse biased while junction J1 and J3 are
forward biased.
Hence, the situation in the junctions J 1 and J3 is just as in a npn transistor with
base open.
Consequently, no current flows through the load R L and the SCR is cut off.
However, if the applied voltage is gradually increased, a stage is reached
when the reverse biased junction J2 breaks down.
The SCR now conducts heavily and is said to be in the ON state.

The applied voltage at which SCR conducts heavily without gate voltage is
called Breakover voltage.  
        2. When gate is positive w.r.t. cathode
The SCR can be made to conduct heavily at smaller applied voltage by
applying a small positive potential to the gate as shown in fig.3.
                     

                                                                                              Fig.3

Now junction J3 is forward biased and junction J2 is reverse biased.
The electrons from n-type material start moving across junction J 3 towards
left whereas holes from p-type towards the right.
Consequently, the electrons from junction J 3 are attracted across the junction
J2 and gate current starts flowing .
As soon as the gate current flows, anode current increases.

The increased current in turn makes more electrons available at junction J 2.

This process continues and in an extremely small time, junction J 2 breaks
down and the SCR starts conducting heavily.
Once SCR starts conducting, the gate loses all control. Even if gate voltage is
removed, the anode current does not decrease at all.

The only way to stop conduction i.e. to bring the SCR in off condition, is to
reduce the applied voltage to zero.
To obtain V-I characteristics of SCR, its anode and cathode are connected to the
source through the load. The Gate and cathode are fed through a separate source
which is meant to provide positive gate current from gate to cathode. The elementary
circuit diagram for obtaining V-I characteristics of SCR is shown below.

In the above diagram, Anode and Cathode terminals A & K are connected to variable
voltage source E through Load and Gate terminal G is connected to the source E s to
provide positive gate current through G to K when switch S is closed. V a and
Ia represents the voltage across the anode to cathode terminals and current through
the SCR. A plot between Va and Ia is drawn by varying the source voltage E and
noting the corresponding current through SCR. This plot gives the V-I characteristics
of SCR.
Typical V-I Characteristics of SCR
A typical V-I Characteristics of SCR is shown below.
Full wave rectifier TB 282
Working Principle of Single Phase Full Bridge Inverter:
The working principle of single phase full bridge inverter is based on the sequential
triggering of thyristors placed diagonally opposite. This means, for half of time
period, thyristors T3 & T4 will be triggered while for the remaining half of time period,
T1 & T2 will be triggered. Only two thyristors are turned ON in half of the time period.
Carefully observe the waveform of the gating signal. You will notice that thyristors T1
& T2 are triggered simultaneously for a time T/2. Therefore, load is connected to
source through T1 & T2 and hence, the load voltage is equal to the source voltage
with positive polarity. This is the reason; the load voltage is shown positive & equal
to Vs in the output voltage waveform.
As soon as the gate signal (ig1 & ig2) are removed, T1 and T2 gest turned OFF.
However, at the same instant gate signal (i g3 & ig4) are applied and hence, T3 & T4
are turned ON. When T3 & T4 are conducting, load gets connected to the source.
The load voltage magnitude is again Vs but with reverse polarity. This is the reason,
the output voltage is shown negative in the voltage waveform.