In this volume I attempt to present concisely the physical principles underlying the operation and performance characteristics of the class of semiconductor p-n-p-n switches known as thyristors. The semiconductor controlled rectifier (SCR), the triode AC switch (Triac) the gate turn-off switch (GTO), and the reverse conducting thyristor (RCT) are some of the most important devices belonging to this device family. This book is aimed both at semiconductor-device physicists, designers, and students and at those electronic circuit designers who wish to apply thyristors creatively without the...