Exp 1.

Study of Characteristics of SCR, MOSFET AND IGBT

1. OBJECTIVE: - To study the V-I Characteristics of SCR,MOSFET and IGBT.

2. APPARATUS REQUIRED: -
a) SCR, MOSFET &IGBT Characteristics study unit.
b) Meter Unit.

3. Theory : -

THEORY:

A Thyristor is one of the most important types of semiconductor devices.They are operated
as bistable switches ,operating from non-conducting state to conducting state .Thyristors are also
known as SCR’s.A SCR is a 4 layered 3 terminal semiconductor switching device of PNPN
structure with 3 PN junctions.The 3 terminals are anode ,cathode and gate SCR,s are manufactured
by diffusion .When the anode voltage is made positive w.r.t cathode ,the junction J1&J3 are
forward biased .The junction J2 is reverse biased and only the small leakage current flows from
positive to negative .The thyristor is then said to be in forward blocking or off state condition and
the leakage current is known as off state current Id .If anode to cathode voltage Vak is increased to
a sufficiently large value, the reverse biased junction J2 will break.This is known as avalanche
breakdown and the corresponding voltage is called forward breakdown voltage Vbo.Since the other
junctions J1&J3 are already forward biased ,there will be free movement of carriers across all the
three junctions ,resulting in a large forward anode current .
The device will then be in a conducting state or ON state ,the voltage drop would be due
to the ohmic drop in the four layers and it is small typically 1V. In the on state , the anode current
is limited by by an external impedance or a resistance RL. The anode current must be more than a
value known as latching current IL. In order to maintain the required amount of carrier flow
across the junction. Otherwise the device will rivert to the blocking condition as the anode to
cathode voltage is reduced.
Latching current IL is the minimum anode current requied to maintain the thyristor in the
on state immediately after the thyristor has been turned on and the gate signal has been removed.
The V-I characteristics of thyristor is shown below .
Once thyristor conducts, it behaves like a conducting diode and there is no control over a
device. The device will continue to conduct because there is no depletion layer on the junction J2
due to free movement of carriers. However if the forward anode current is reduced below a level
known as holding current IH, depletion region will develop around junction J2 due to the reduced
number of carriers and the thyristor will be in the blocking state. The holding current is in the
order of mA and is less than the latching current. That is IL > IH . Holding current is the minimum
anode current to maintain the thyristor in the on state. When the cathode voltage is positive with
respect to the anode the junction J2 is forward biased but junction J1 and J3 are reverse biased.
The thyristor will be in reverse blocking state and the reverse leakage current known as reverse
current IR would flow through the device.
 A thyristor can be turned on by increasing the forward voltage VAK beyond VBO, but such
a turn on could be destructive in practice the forward voltage is maintained below VBO and the
thyristor is turned on by by applying a positive voltage between gate and cathode. Once the
thyristor is turned on by gate signal and its anode current is greater than the holding current . The
device continues to conduct due to positive feedback, even if the gating signal is removed. A
thyristor is a latching device.

POWER MOSFET:
A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET) is a device developed by
combining the areas of field effect concept and MOS technology.
A power MOSFET has three terminals called drain, source and gate in place of the corresponding
three terminals collector, emitter and base for BJT. The circuit symbol of power MOSFET is as
shown in fig. Here arrow indicates the direction of electron flow. A BJT is a current controlled
device , where as power MOSFET is unipolar device. The control signal , or base current in BJT
is much larger than the control signal (or gate current ) required in a MOSFET. This is because
of the fact that gate circuit impedance in MOSFET is extremely high, of the order of 109 ohms.
This large impedance permits the MOFET gate to driven directly from micro electronic circuits.
BJTs suffers from second breakdown voltage where as MOSFET is free from this problem . Power
MOSFETs are now finding increasing applications in low power high frequency converters.
Power MOSFETs are two types
1. N. channel enhancement MOSFET
2. p channel enhancement MOSFET
Out of these two types n channel enhancement MOSFET is more common because of
higher mobility of electrons.

MOSFET static characteristics:

Transfer characteristics: This characteristic shows the variation of drain current ID as a

function of gate source V GS- It is seen that there is a threshold voltage. VGST below which the
device is off. The magnitude of V GST is of the order of 2 to 3 V.
Output characteristics:
This indicates the drain current ID as a function drain –source voltage VGS as a parameter

Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT):

IGBT is a new development in the area of Power MOSFET technology. This device
combines into in the advantage of both MOSFET and BJT. So IGBT has high input impedance
like a MOSFET and low on state power loss as in a BJT . Furhter IGBT is free from second
breakdown problem present in BJT. IGBT is also known as Metal-oxide insulated gate transistor
conductively- modulated field effect transistor.(COMFET) or gain – modulated FET(GEMFET)
it is also initially called insulated gate transistor

IGBT characteristics:
Static V-I or output characteristics of an IGBT ( n- channel type ) shows the collector
current IC versus collector emitter voltage VCE for various values of gate emitter voltages.
The transfer characteristics of an IGBT is a plot of collector current IC versus gate emitter
voltage VGE .

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCR:-

AIM: To plot the characteristics of an SCR and to find the holding current and latching
current.

APPARATUS:
1) Characteristics Study unit.
2) Meter Unit (3 ½ digit Voltmeters -2Nos) 200V, 20V-
1No. each (3 ½ digit Ammeters -2Nos) 2A,
20mA -1No.each
PROCEDURE:-
a) V – I Characteristics:-
1) Make the connections as given in the circuit diagram including meters.
2) Now switch ON the mains supply to the unit and initially keep V1 &V2 at minimum.
3) Set load potentiometer R1 in the minimum position.
4) Adjust IG=IG1 say 8mA by varying V2 or gate current potentiometer R2.
5) Slowly vary V1 and note down VAK and IL readings for every 2 Volts and entered the
readingsin the tabular column.
6) Further vary V1 till SCR conducts, this can be noticed by sudden drop of VAK and
rise of ILreadings note down this readings and tabulated.
7)Vary V1 Further and note down IL and VAK readings. Draw the graph of VAK V/s IL.
Repeatthe same for IG=IG2 and draw the graph.
IG = IG1 = mA IG = IG1 = mA

V AK IA V AK IA
CHARACTERISTICS OF MOSFET:-

AIM: To plot the Trans conductance & Drain characteristics of MOSFET .

APPARATUS:
3) Characteristics Study unit
4) Meter Unit (3 ½ digit Voltmeters -2Nos) 200V, 20V-1No. each
(3 ½ digit Ammeters -2Nos) 2A, 20mA -1No.each

Characteristics of MOSFET

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 0-2A R1

ID

V1
VDS 0-200V

V2
VGS
0-20V
-

PROCEDURE:-

Drain Characteristics :-
1) Initially set V2 to VGS1= 3.5 Volts.
2) Slowly vary V1 and note down ID and VDS. For a Particular value of VGS1 there is a
pinch off voltage ( Vp) between drain and source as Shown in figure.
3) If VDS is lower than Vp, the device works in the constant resistance
Region and ID is directly proportional to VDS. If VDS is more than Vp, constant IDflows
from the device and this operating region is called constant current region.
 4) Repeat the above for different values of VGS and note down ID V/S VDS

5) Draw the graph of I D V/S VDS for different values of VGS.

TABULAR COLUMN :-

TYPICAL READINGS FOR OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS

V2=VGS1= Volts V2=VGS2= Volts

VDS Volts ID mA V DS Volts ID mA

ID in
mA

V GS = 3.7V

V GS = 3.6V
V GS = 3.5V

VDS

Output CHARACTERISTICS
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IGBT:-

AIM: To plot the Transfer & Collector characteristics of IGBT .

APPARATUS:
1) Characteristics Study unit
2) Meter Unit (3 ½ digit Voltmeters -2Nos) 200V, 20V-1No. each
(3 ½ digit Ammeters -2Nos) 2A, 20mA -1No.each
PROCEDURE:-

Collector Characteristics :-
1) Initially set V2 to VGE1= 5 Volts. Slowly vary V1 and note down IC and VGE.
2) For a Particular value of VGE1 there is a pinch off voltage ( Vp) between Collector and
Emitter as Shown in figure.
3) If VGE is lower than Vp, the device works in the constant resistanceregion
and IC is directly proportional to VGE.
4) If VGE is more than Vp, constant IC flows from the device and this operating region iscalled
constant current region.
5) Repeat the above for different values of VGE and note down IC v/s VCE
6) Draw the graph of IC v/s VCE for different values of VGE.

TABULAR COLUMN:-
TYPICAL READINGS FOR OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS

V2=VGE1= Volts V2=VGE2= Volts

VCE Volts IC mA VCE Volts IC mA
 IC in V GE = 5.25V
mA
V GE = 5.2V

V GE = 5.15V

V GE = 5.1V

VCE

COLLECTOR CHARACTERISTICS

RESULT:-Static Characteristics of SCR, MOSFET and IGBT is studied.