Investigation of the surge characteristics of power rectifiers and thyristors in large-area press packages

The effects that packaging has on thermal cycling of large-area rectifiers and thyristors in both steady state and surge operation are investigated. A comparison between theoretical and experimental data on forward drop and temperature rise in surge tests are given. A theoretical study is then presented which shows the effects of package variations on device ratings and the size of thermal excursions. The study shows that significant improvements in both steady state and surge device properties can be achieved through advances in packaging techniques.