High speed high power two terminal solid state switch fired by dV/dt

Claim 1

A two-terminal thyristor adapted to be fired by dV/dt comprising: A. a body of semiconductor material having first and second outer surfaces, with at least four impurity regions of alternate type conductivity disposed through the body between the outer surfaces forming PN junctions between adjoining regions; B. said regions being a cathode emitter region and a cathode base region adjoining parts of the first outer surface of the body, an anode base region, and an anode emitter region adjoining at least a portion of the second outer surface of the body; C. said cathode emitter region including an auxiliary emitter region and a main emitter region, said auxiliary emitter region adjoining a portion of the first outer surface spaced centrally of the main emitter region D. said cathode base region adjoining at least a portion of the first outer surface between the auxiliary emitter region and the main emitter region, and adjoining the first outer surface at predetermined locations bounded by the main emitter region to form cathode shunts; E. said auxiliary emitter region being dimensioned such that 0.7<CR dV/ dt, where C is the capacitance of a PN junction portion between the cathode base region and an anode base region within the confines of the outer boundary of the auxiliary emitter region, R is the effective radial resistance in the cathode base region under the auxiliary cathode emitter region, and dV/dt is the rate of application of a triggering voltage on the anode electrode hereinafter recited; F. a metallic electrode in ohmic contact with the first outer surface and overlying at least a portion of the auxiliary region and a portion of the cathode base region outwardly from the auxiliary region; G. a cathode electrode in ohmic contact with the main emitter region and with the cathode base region at said cathode shunts; and H. an anode electrode in ohmic contact with the anode emitter region.