On the emitter shunt design for thyristors

The emitter shunting resistance can be used as an independent input in determining the switching characteristics of thyristors, especially fast switching thyristors. A smaller shunt resistance leads to a higher dv/dt capability and a higher gate triggering current. Trade-off relations given in this paper indicate that the device´s dv/dt capability and hence the turn-off time can be optimized by sacrificing the gate turn-on gain.