Abstract：Gate unit is an important part of integrated gate commutated thyristor(IGCT). Besides fulfilling the “hard drive” concept, the gate unit should be equipped with reliable status detection and logical control capability. As a current controlled semiconductor, gate commutated thyristor(GCT) has a special characteristic that its gate to cathode junction shows particular voltage when conducting, blocking and its anti-parallel free-wheeling diode is conducting. High speed and precise gate to cathode voltage detection is the key for gate unit to fulfill the status feedback, back porch current generation and retrigger control. In this paper, proceeding from the structure of GCT’s silicon wafer and “hard drive” principle, combined with the widely used neutral point clamp(NPC) three level topology, the gate to cathode voltage transformation mechanism and the necessary logical control of gate unit are detailed analyzed. Finally, a gate unit with precise status detection capability is designed and tested in a NPC three level power electronic building block. The experimental results present the waveforms of the IGCT commutation transition and the gate unit feedback signals under different working conditions and verify the goodness of the gate unit’s status detection function and logic control.
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2012, Vol. 27 
