PRIST UNIVERSITY

(Estd. u/s 3 of UGC Act, 1956)

Vallam, Thanjavur -613403

________________________________________________________________________

M.Tech. POWER ELECTRONICS AND DRIVES

QUESTION BANK
Course Details
Course Code & Title

: 12253H12
& ADVANCED
SEMICONDUCTOR
DEVICES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Regulations

2008 Regulation
(For Students admitted from June 2008- June 2010)

Nature of the Course

Hard Core

Semester

H.O.D.

Staff-In-Charge

ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

3 0 0 4
1. OVERVIEW OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
9
Introduction, Diodes, thyristors, BJTs, MOSFETs, GTOs, IGBTs, Comparison of these
as switching devices, Gate drive circuits for Thyristor, Triacs, GTOs, Power MOSFETs
& IGBTs Power junction FET-field controlled thyristor-JFET based devices versus other
device-Power integrated circuits-New semiconductor materials for power Devices.
2. POWER DIODES AND BJTS
9
Structure of power diodes and BJTs - Basic V-I characteristics of power diode,
Schottky diode, BJT - physics of device operation - On-state losses - switching
characteristics of diodes and BJTs - safe operating area - Major device
specifications and ratings.
3. THYRISTORS, TRIACS AND GTOS
9
Structure of thyristors, Triacs and GTOs - V-I characteristics of thyristors,
Triacs and GTOs - physics of device operation - switching characteristics Thermal
characteristics - Gating characteristics - device specifications and
ratings - Different types of packages.
4. POWER MOSFETS AND IGBTS
9
Structure of MOSFET & IGBTs - V-I characteristics, physics of device operations switching characteristics - Major device specifications - comparison of power
transistors, Thyristors, Power MOSFETs & IGBTs. MOS Controlled Thyristors - basic
structure - turn on and turn off - switching behaviour.
5. PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATION
9
Snubber circuit design for power diodes, BJTs, thyristors, Triacs, GTOs, Power
MOSFETs and IGBTs - Electrical isolation of Base drive circuit - Heat sink design.
L=45

P=0

C=3

REFERENCES
1. N.Mohan, `Power Electronics Converters, Applications and Design' John wily &Sons,
2001.
2. M.H.Rashid ` Power Electronics, Circuits, Devices and Applications' Prentice Hall,
2001
3. J.G.Kassakian ` Principles of Power Electronics' Addison Wesley Publishing Co.,
1991.
4. M.D.Singh and K.B. Khanchandani `Power Electronics ' Tata McGrawHill, 1998.
5. S.N. Singh,` A Text Book of Power Electronics', Dhanpat Rai, 2000.
6. Murphy, J.M.D. and Turnbull, F.G " Power Electronics Control of AC Motors ",
Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1988

H.O.D.

Staff-In-Charge

UNIT 1
OVERVIEW OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
PART-A (2 marks)
1. How TURN-ON speed of the IGBT can be controlled?
2. Compare the performance of IGBT with MOSFET and BJT.
3. Draw the circuit symbol, for i) N- channel and ii) p-channel MOSFET.
4. Write the advantage of GTO.
5. Define schottky diodes.
6. Compare Thysistor and. BJT
7. What is power integrated circuit?
8. What is on- state loss?
9. Define Line- frequency diodes.
10. Define fast recovery diodes
PART- B (16marks)
11. Make a comparison of SCR, MOSFET & IGBT
12. (i) Compare power JFET with MOSFET.
(ii) Compare TRIAC with GTO.
13. (i) What are the requirements of gate drive? And explain.
ii) Give the application of power electronic devices in detail.
14. Discuss power JFET based devices versus other devices.
15. (i) Discuss the types of power integrated circuits.
(ii) List the challenges in power integrated circuits and discuss the solutions
16. Discuss in detail the new semiconductor materials for power devices.

UNIT II
POWER DIODES AND BJTS
PART -A (2 marks)
1. What is meant by impact ionization?
2. What is safe operating area?
3. When recombination takes place in power diode?
4. Draw the output characteristic(id-Vds) of power diode
5. Draw the I- V characteristic of BJT
6. Draw the I- V characteristic of power diode.
7. Define Quasi- saturation.
8. Define Break down voltage of BJT
9. How the rating of a device is specified?
10. What is meant by punch through..

PART B (16marks)
11. Explain the basic structure and V-I characteristics of power diode with neat
diagram.
12. Explain the basic structure and V-I characteristics of power BJT with neat
diagram.
13. (i)Explain the switching characteristics of power diode.
(ii)Explain the happenings during reverse recovery in power diode.
14. (i)Discuss the SOA of power diode and power transistor.
(ii)Explain the V-I characteristics of schottky diode.
15. (i)Explain the switching characteristics of power transistor.
(ii)Explain the turn off characteristics of power Darlington.
16. With the help of neat diagram, explain the stored charge distribution in quasisaturation, active and hard saturation regions of a power BJT.

UNIT III
THYRISTORS, TRIACS AND GTOS
PART- A (2 marks)
1. Draw the V-I characteristics of SCR and mark the holding current and latching
current in the characteristic.
2. Write the vertical cross section of a generic thyristor.
3. Draw the gate and cathode layouts and circuit symbol for thyristor
4. Write the vertical cross section and prespective view of a GTO.
5. Write on special feature of GTO.
6. Draw the step- down converter circuit using GTO as the switching devices
With Turn-on and Turn-Off symbols.
7. The GTO must be protected against over current .Why?
8. What are the methods of improving of SCR ratings?
9. Draw the V-I characteristics of TRIAC
10. Draw the gate trigger characteristics of SCR.
PART- B (16marks)
11. Explain the basic structure and V-I characteristics of SCR and TRIAC with
relevant diagram
12. (i) Describe the basic structure and V-I characteristics of GTO .
(ii) Explain the overcurrent protection of GTO.
13. (i) Explain the turn on & turn off process of Thyristor.
(ii) Discuss the methods of improving di/dt & dv/dt rating of SCR.
14. Explain the switching characteristics of TRIAC & GTO.
15.Compare the thermal & gating characteristics of SCR, TRIAC and GTO with
relevant diagram
16. Discuss about the rating and devices specifications of SCR, TRIAC and GTO in
detail.

UNIT IV
POWER MOSFETS AND IGBTS
PART- A (2 marks)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Draw the Transfer curve of power MOSFET.

Draw the SOA of an N-channel enhancement mode MOSFEF.
Draw the Transfer characteristics and symbol of N- channel MOSFEF.
Draw the complete IGBT equivalent circuit.
Write the performance characteristics of the IGBT.
Draw the output characteristics of IGBT
Draw the approximate equivalents circuits for normal operating
conditions of. IGBT.
8. Draw the output characteristics (id-Vds) of power MOSFET
9. How turn on of parasitic thyristor present in IGBT can be avoided?
10. What is FBSOA?
PART B (16 marks)
11. Explain the basic structure and V-I characteristics of MOSFET with relevant
diagram.
12. Describe the basic structure and V-I characteristics of IGBT with necessary
Diagram.
13. Explain the switching characteristics of IGBT with neat sketch
14. Explain the switching characteristics of MOSFET with neat sketch
15. Explain the basics structure and switching characteristics of MOS
Controlled thyristors.
16. (i) Discuss the causes & avoidance of latch up in IGBT.
(ii) Explain the paralleling of MOSFET.

UNIT-V
PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATION

PART-A (2marks)
1. What are the types of snubber circuits?
2. What are the functions of snubber circuits?
3. What is the purpose of heat sink?
4. What are uses of snubber in transistors?
5. What is over voltage snubber?
6. Quote the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
7. What is found from heat sink ambient calculation?
8. What are the different types of heat transfer in heat sink?
9. What is mean by thermal resistance?
10. What are the applications of snubber circuits?
PART B

(16marks)

11. Explain the Optocoupler isolated drive circuit suitable for BJT, IGBT &
MOSFET.
12. With the help of block diagram, explain the thyristor gate triggering circuit.
13. Explain the turn on & turn off snubbers for transistors with necessary diagram.
14. (i) Explain the MOSFET gate driving circuit suitable for low speed application
with neat sketch.
(ii) With the help of neat diagram, explain the power BJT gate driving circuit for
faster turn-off
15. Write short notes on i) diode snubber
ii) thyristor snubber circuits.
16. (i) Explain the driving circuit suitable for power JFET & GTO
with neat sketch.
(ii) Write short notes on heat transfer by radiation and convection

H.O.D.

Staff-In-Charge