Thyristor

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What Does Thyristor Mean?

A thyristor is a solid state and four-layered semiconductor used in electronic devices and equipment to control electrical power or current output through a phase angle control technique.

A thyristor is also known as a semiconductor-controlled rectifier (SCR) or silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

Techopedia Explains Thyristor

Thyristors are primarily designed to amplify and rectify the electrical currents that flow in high-powered electronic devices. A thyristor’s four layers consist of a series of N and P-type material that connect with the anode, cathode and a logic gate. When a current is applied at the gate, the thyristor allows an amplified current to flow form anode to cathode.

Although thrysitors can only transmit currents in one direction, they have three different operating modes: reverse blocking, forward blocking and forward conducting.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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