Out of many semiconductor controlled
devices, MCT is considered to be the latest. The device is basically a
thyristor with two MOSFET’s built into the gate structure. A MOSFET is
used for turning ON the MCT and another one is used for turning it OFF.
The device is mostly used for switching applications and has other
characteristics like high frequency, high power, and low conduction drop
and so on. An MCT combines the feature of both conventional four layer thyristor
having regenerative action and MOS- gate structure. In this device, all
the gate signals are applied with respect to anode, which is kept as
the reference. In a normally used SCR, cathode is kept as the reference terminal for gate signals.
The basic structure of an MCT cell is shown in the figure below.
- MOS Controlled Thyristor (MCT) Structure
