SELF PROTECTION OF THYRISTOR BREAK OVERTURN ON DEFECT BY SELECTIVE BASE LIFE CONTROL

摘要

A semiconductor device protected against breakover turn-on failure and operative in connection with applying voltage and generating electrical currents. The device has a silicon base substrate. The substrate has a main thyristor region with at least a main emitter area. A gate region is associated with the main thyristor region for turning on currents in said main thyristor region in response to a condition turning on currents in the gate region. The gate region includes a localized subtransistor. The subtransistor has a locally longer minority charge carrier lifetime than the minority charge carrier lifetime in all areas of the main thyristor region. This, the location of the initial current conduction under the conditions of excessive forward voltage is limited to the gate region. The device permits control of the location of the turn-on point.