Dual MOS gate controlled thyristor (DMGCT) structure with short-circuit withstand capability superior to IGBT

A dual MOS gate controlled thyristor (DMGCT) structure is analyzed with experimental data and shown to have superior performance over insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) for power switching applications. The DMGCT device structure consists of a thyristor structure with the thyristor current constrained to flow via the channel region of a MOSFET. Although this increases the on-state voltage drop in the thyristor current path by a small amount due to the voltage drop across the low-voltage series MOSFET, this structure allows control of the thyristor current by the gate voltage applied to the MOSFET even after latch-up of the thyristor. This configuration allows uniform turn-off in the device with no current crowding. The DMGCT does not have any parasitic thyristor structure. In contrast to the IGBT, the saturation current of the DMGCT can be controlled independently of the on-state voltage drop.