High current (1300 A) optical triggering of a 12 kV 4H-SiC thyristor

Optical triggering of a high-voltage (12 kV class) 4H-SiC thyristor to a current Imax = 1300 A is demonstrated. An amplification step (pilot thyristor) and a mixed resistive-inductive load are used to reduce the current ramp dI/dt. The results obtained show that a decrease in the current density at the end of the first, fastest phase of the switch-on process can be achieved either by improving the homogeneity of the initially turned-on region or by introducing additional amplification steps. (paper)