Applications of phase‐plane analysis to thyristor modelling

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study is to develop a thyristor model based on the general equations of the semiconductors.Design/methodology/approachWithin the theory of the systems, the paper starts with the identification of the regenerative feedback current loop present in the p‐n‐p‐n structures. By using phase‐plane analysis and bifurcation theory, it analyses the stability of the different states of the devices and, at the same time, identifies the different characteristic critical points. The analysis of the non‐homogeneous solutions which can bifurcate from the uniform carrier distributions in the thyristor bases gives a further insight about the nature of the switching process.FindingsA link between the electric bistable characteristics of thyristors and their physical and geometrical properties was found.Practical implicationsThe main implication of this work is the acquisition of a method to implement a thyristor model for circuit analysis purposes where the different model parameters can be extracted from the respective device data sheets by using analytical methods.Originality/valueThe simulation of some particular characteristics of the thyristor by numerical methods has been described in other original works of the authors for the non‐homogeneous case. Here, the search is mainly to apply some of the more important findings of the work to a first‐level lumped thyristor model to be used in circuit analysis applications.