Light-controlled thyristor having optoelectronically controlled emitter shorts, and process for its operation

摘要

1. A light-ignitable thyristor comprising a semiconductor body which has an n-emitter (1a, 1b, 1c) contacted by a first electrode, with an adjacent p-base layer (2), and a p-emitter (4) contacted by a second electrode, with an adjacent n-base layer (3), and controllable emitter short circuits arranged at a boundary surface of the semiconductor body, in the form of gate-controlled MIS-structures (M1-M6), each consisting of a first semiconductor zone (1b) of a first conductivity type which is connected to the first or second electrode, a second semiconductor zone (5) of the first conductivity type which is connected to the base layer (2), and a semiconductor zone (7) of a second conductivity type which is located between these semiconductor zones and which is covered by a gate (9) which is electrically insulated from the semiconductor body, where a controllable light source (L) is provided which is in optical contact, through a light conductor (20), with a part of the surface of the semiconductor body, where the gate controlled MIS-structures have a common control terminal (G) which is connected to the output of an opto-electronic transducer (24) which is in optical contact with the controlled light source, and where a light conductor (23) is provided which branches off from the light conductor (20) and is connected to an input of the opto-electronic transducer (24).