Thyristor: o o o o o o o o

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TRIAC (triode for alternating current; also bidirectional triode thyristor or bilateral triode

thyristor[citation needed]) is a three terminal electronic component that conducts current in either direction
when triggered. The term TRIAC is a genericised trademark.
TRIACs are a subset of thyristors (analogous to a relay in that a small voltage and current can
control a much larger voltage and current) and are related to silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).
TRIACs differ from SCRs in that they allow current flow in both directions, whereas an SCR can only
conduct current in a single direction. Most TRIACs can be triggered by applying either a positive or
negative voltage to the gate (an SCR requires a positive voltage). Once triggered, SCRs and
TRIACs continue to conduct, even if the gate current ceases, until the main current drops below a
certain level called the holding current.
Gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs) are similar to TRIACs but provide more control by turning off when
the gate signal ceases.
The bidirectionality of TRIACs makes them convenient switches for alternating-current (AC). In
addition, applying a trigger at a controlled phase angle of the AC in the main circuit allows control of
the average current flowing into a load (phase control). This is commonly used for controlling the
speed of a universal motor, dimming lamps, and controlling electric heaters. TRIACs are Bipolar
devices.
Contents
 1Operation
o 1.1Quadrant 1
o 1.2Quadrant 2
o 1.3Quadrant 3
o 1.4Quadrant 4
 2Issues
o 2.1Gate threshold current, latching current and holding current
o 2.2Static dv/dt
o 2.3Critical di/dt
o 2.4Commutating dv/dt and di/dt
 3Snubber circuits
 4Application
 5Example data
 6High commutation (Two and Three Quadrant) TRIACs

 7See also
 8References
 9Further reading
 10External links
Operation[edit]
Triggering modes. Quadrants, 1 (top right), 2 (top left), 3 (bottom left), 4 (bottom right); voltages relative to MT1
TRIAC semiconductor construction
To understand how TRIACs work, consider the triggering in each of the four quadrants. The four
quadrants are illustrated in Figure 1, and depend on the gate and MT2 voltages with respect to MT1.
Main Terminal 1 (MT1) and Main Terminal (MT2) are also referred to as Anode 1 (A1) and Anode 2
(A2) respectively.[1]
The relative sensitivity depends on the physical structure of a particular triac, but as a rule, quadrant
I is the most sensitive (least gate current required), and quadrant 4 is the least sensitive (most gate
current required).[clarification needed Why is Q-IV the least sensitive? See discussion]
In quadrants 1 and 2, MT2 is positive, and current flows from MT2 to MT1 through P, N, P and N
layers. The N region attached to MT2 does not participate significantly. In quadrants 3 and 4, MT2 is
negative, and current flows from MT1 to MT2, also through P, N, P and N layers. The N region
attached to MT2 is active, but the N region attached to MT1 only participates in the initial triggering,
not the bulk current flow.
In most applications, the gate current comes from MT2, so quadrants 1 and 3 are the only operating
modes (both gate and MT2 positive or negative against MT1). Other applications with single polarity
triggering from an IC or digital drive circuit operate in quadrants 2 and 3, than MT1 is usually
connected to positive voltage (e.g. +5V) and gate is pulled down to 0V (ground).
Quadrant 1[edit]
Operation in quadrant 1
Equivalent electric circuit for a TRIAC operating in quadrant 1
Quadrant 1 operation occurs when the gate and MT2 are positive with respect to MT1.Figure 1
The mechanism is illustrated in Figure 3. The gate current makes an equivalent NPN transistor
switch on, which in turn draws current from the base of an equivalent PNP transistor, turning it on
also. Part of the gate current (dotted line) is lost through the ohmic path across the p-silicon, flowing
directly into MT1 without passing through the NPN transistor base. In this case, the injection of holes
in the p-silicon makes the stacked n, p and n layers beneath MT1 behave like a NPN transistor,
which turns on due to the presence of a current in its base. This, in turn, causes the p, n and p layers
over MT2 to behave like a PNP transistor, which turns on because its n-type base becomes forward-
biased with respect to its emitter (MT2). Thus, the triggering scheme is the same as an SCR. The
equivalent circuit is depicted in Figure 4.
However, the structure is different from SCRs. In particular, TRIAC always has a small current
flowing directly from the gate to MT1 through the p-silicon without passing through the p-n junction
between the base and the emitter of the equivalent NPN transistor. This current is indicated in Figure
3 by a dotted red line and is the reason why a TRIAC needs more gate current to turn on than a
comparably rated SCR.[2]
Generally, this quadrant is the most sensitive of the four. This is because it is the only quadrant
where gate current is injected directly into the base of one of the main device transistors.[clarification needed Why
is Q-I the most sensitive? See discussion]

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A

TRIAC (triode for alternating current; also bidirectional triode thyristor or bilateral triode

o 2.1Gate threshold current, latching current and holding current

o 2.4Commutating dv/dt and di/dt

 6High commutation (Two and Three Quadrant) TRIACs

TRIAC semiconductor construction

Equivalent electric circuit for a TRIAC operating in quadrant 1

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