Approaching Power Switching Perfection with

IGCTs – Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristors

IGCT type 5SHY 55L4500 – 91 mm, 4.5 kV

The IGCT is a snubberless gate-controlled turn-off Applications

switch which turns off like an IGBT but conducts like
The Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristor is the
a thyristor with the lowest conduction losses. Fig. 1
latest power switching device for demanding High-
shows turn-off at 3000 A. GCTs are the only high
Power applications such as:
power semiconductors to be supplied integrated into
their gate-units. The user thus only needs to connect - MVD (Medium Voltage Drives)
the device to a 28 – 40 V power supply and an optical - Marine Drives
fibre for on/off control. Because of the topology in
- Traction
which it is used, the IGCT produces negligible turn-
- Co-generation
on losses. This, together with its low conduction
losses, enables high frequency operation formerly - WindPower Converters
unobtainable by high power semiconductors. - STATCOMs
- DVRs (Dynamic Voltage Restorers)
V d (kV) I a (kA) - VAR SPEED (AC excitation systems)
V dm

4
Anode voltage Vd
4
- BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems)
I tgq
3 3 - SSB (Solid State Breakers)
Anode current I a
2 2 - DC Traction Line Boosters
1 1
- Traction Power Compensators
0 0
- Induction Heating
-10
Gate voltage Vg
-20

V g (V) 15 20 25 30 35 Time (µs)

Fig. 1
IGCT turn-off exhibits same waveform and losses (E off) as Transistor
The IGCT is now used in a multitude of appli-
cations due to its versatility, efficiency and cost-
effectiveness as can be seen from a selection of
references at the end of this document. Due to
their low on-state voltages, they achieve the lo-
west running costs by allowing inverter efficiencies
greater than 99.6% to be achieved.
As can be seen in Table 2, IGCTs are available as
reverse conducting (RC), asymmetric and reverse
blocking (RB) devices allowing them to be used in
both AC and DC circuits (e.g. in voltage and cur-
rent source inverters). Additionally, they can be
used in self, line or load-commutated applications
for both parallel and series resonant inverters in, Fig. 3
for instance, induction heating furnaces because Standard IGCT sizes

of their ability to operate as ”zero tQ”, highly interdigitated, fast, high voltage thyristors.

The low losses allow hard-switched operating frequencies of up to 600 Hz for 6.5 kV devices and 1 kHz for
4.5 kV devices in the steady state and over 25 kHz in burst mode.

Fig. 2 illustrates the basic IGCT VSI topo-

logy. It can be seen that diode commu-
tation is controlled by inductance L and
Fig. 2 not by turn-on modulation as would be the
Basic IGCT inverter circuit
case with IGBTs. Though turn-on modu-
lation is a practical approach with low vol-
tage transistors, the engendered losses
are excessive at high voltages. The clamp
circuit of Fig. 2 eliminates turn-on energy
in the semiconductor by storing it in L. This
energy is then either dissipated in R or recycled by
an energy recovery circuit (not shown). The inductance is the
most pragmatic fault limitation technique in the event of catastrophic
failure since, as opposed to resistors and fuses, it has the merit of ”already being
there”. The press-pack construction of the IGCT, combined with the inductance, makes
the system resistant to explosion, even when the device’s surge rating is exceeded.

Turn-off dv/dt is also not gate-controlled but programmed at the device manufacturing stage by anode design
and lifetime engineering. The absence of dv/dt and di/dt control functionality simplifies gate-unit design and
allows a high degree of standardisation. Fig. 3 shows currently available device calibres.

Some sixty publications exist on the use of IGCTs in many of the applications previously listed and these can
be downloaded from the ABB website (www.abb.com/semiconductors). Table 1 summarises the essential
documents relating to the application of IGCTs.

Title Document number

Applying IGCT Gate Units 5SYA2031

Applying IGCTs 5SYA2032
Recommendations regarding mechanical clamping of Press-pack High Power Semiconductors 5SYA2036
Failure Rates of IGCTs due to Cosmic Rays 5SYA2046
Field measurements on High Power Press-pack Semiconductors 5SYA2048
Voltage ratings of high power semiconductors 5SYA2051
Specification of environmental class for pressure contact IGCTs - OPERATION 5SZK9107
Clamp circuit with energy recovery Patent N° DE 199 42 258 A 1

Table 1 – Principal applications documents

 Outlook
The expansion of power electronics into the new fields
of Energy Management, Renewable Energy Sources
and Co-generation is driving semiconductor require-
ments towards higher frequency, higher voltage and
higher efficiency while increasing demands for re-
liability and lower costs. The IGCT is capable of still
higher currents, voltages and frequencies without
series or parallel connection and the first of such pro-
ducts will appear in 2007 as ”High Power Technology”
devices, see Table 2 below. This latest family of IGCTs
exhibit 50% higher turn-off capability than standard
devices.

Growing markets for reverse blocking devices are

leading to the expansion of the product range with
new devices scheduled for production in 2008 ( 5 ).
10 kV devices are now also in development.

Within 10 years of its introduction, the IGCT has esta-

blished itself as the power device of choice for high
power at high voltage by meeting the needs of a gro-
wing and demanding Power Electronic Market. Single
Fig. 4 inverters of over 15 MW can now be realised without
Power Electronic Building Block with 27 MW/m 3 power density
series or parallel connection achieving the highest
inverter power densities in the industry. The use of
series connection has already produced 100 MW
inverters with first generation devices and for future
installations, e.g. in Utility STATCOMs, powers of up to
300 MW are envisioned.

Product Range
Type Reverse Conducting Reverse Blocking Asymmetric

VDRM Si ø 38 mm 51 mm 68 mm 91 mm 38 mm 51 mm 68 mm 91 mm 91 mm
3.3 kV / / / / / / / / TBD
1
4.5 kV 340 A 640 A 1100 A 2250 A / / / / 4000 A
2
4.5 kV / / / / / / / / 3800 A
3
4.5 kV / / / / / / / / 4000 A
4
4.5 kV / / / / / / / / 5500 A (HPT)
5
5.5 kV 275 A 520 A 910 A 1820 A / / / / 5000 A (HPT)
6.0 kV / / / / / 800 A / / 3000 A
4 5 5 4
6.5 kV / / / / 400 A 800 A 1500 A TBD 4200 A (HPT)
6
10 kV / / TBD TBD / / / / 3000 A
Table 2 – Product Range

Legend:
1
standard
2
high frequency
3
low on-state
4
production in 2007
5
production in 2008
6
production in 2010
References

No. Application Project Supplier IGCT Type Year

1 Intertie (100 MW) Swb Synor GmbH ABB (CH) Asymmetric 1996
Stadtwerke Bremen (D)
2 Intertie (2 x 66 MVA) e-on Netz Bayernwerke, Adtranz / ABB (CH) Asymmetric 1999
Karlsfeld (D)
3 MVDs (0.3 – 5 MW) ACS1000 ABB (CH) Reverse Conducting 1998
4 DVR (4 MW) Singapore ABB (CH) Asymmetric 1997
5 Interties (2 x 19 MVA) DB Energie GmbH (D) ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2001
6 MVD (1.5 MW) Silcovert H+ ASI Robicon ( I ) Asymmetric 1998
7 MVD (5.3 MW / 14 krpm) Silcovert H+ ASI Robicon ( I ) Asymmetric 2000
8 BESS (18 MVA) National Power (UK) ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2000
9 DVR (2 x 22 MW) Israel ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2000
10 MVD (5 – 27 MW) ACS 6000 ABB (CH) Asymmetric 1999
11 MVD (0.3 – 5 MW) PowerFlex 7000 RA (CAN) Reverse Blocking 2000
12 SSB (4 kVDC / 16 kA) RFX Fusion Torus ASI Robicon ( I ) Asymmetric 2004
13 Traction drive (3 MW) HST SOKOL RAO, “VSM”, Asymmetric 2001
Moscow – St. Petersburg SET Corp. (RUS)
14 Chopper SMES American Super- Asymmetric 1999
conductor (USA)
15 Intertie (2 x 19 MVA) DB Energie GmbH (D) ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2001
16 MVD (9 MW) Silcovert GN ASI Robicon ( I ) Asymmetric 2000
17 Wind Power (1 MW) Unity PF Converters Gamesa (E ) Reverse Conducting 2001
18 BESS (18 MVA) TVA Columbus, MS ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2002
19 Choppers, VSI, SSB (64 MW) RFX Fusion Reactor ASI Robicon ( I ) Asymmetric 2001
20 Pulse Power (6 MW) Medical Jaeger Toennies (D) Reverse Conducting 2001
21 Wind Power (2 – 5 MW) Unity PF Converters ABB (CH) Rev. Conducting / Asym. 2006
22 Trolley Bus Chopper Hradec Kralove (CZ) Skoda Ostrov & Reverse Blocking 2002
(300 kW) Polovodice (CZ)
23 MVD (1.5 MW) SER Drives Int’l. Electronics (E) Asymmetric 2002
24 MVD (1 MW) MYVF-6000 Ming Yang (PRC) Reverse Conducting 2002
25 MVD (10 MW) Steel Mill Aritime (PRC) Asymmetric 2003
26 MVD (2 MW) General Purpose Nanjing Drives (PRC) Reverse Conducting 2004
27 MVD (5 – 24 MW) ACS 5000 ABB (CH) Reverse Conducting 2005
28 Co-generation (10 MW) Unity PF Converters Energomash (RUS) Asymmetric 2006
29 STATCOM (50 MVA) VAR Compensation Xu Ji (PRC) Asymmetric 2006
Doc. No. 5SYA 2023-05 April 07

30 Step down chopper Traction line booster NIIEFA-Energo (RUS) Asymmetric 2006
31 Rotary Intertie (12 MW) Slip frequency controller ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2006
32 STATCOM (2 x 13 MVA) Reactive power compens. ABB (CH) Asymmetric 2006
33 Chopper (0.7 MW) HST “Sokol” VSM (RUS) Asymmetric 1999
34 Chopper (1 MW) EMU EM2I Spetsremont (RUS) Asymmetric 1999

ABB Switzerland Ltd

Semiconductors
Fabrikstrasse 3
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Phone + 41 ( 58 ) 586 1419
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