Short-circuit switching device including at least one pyrotechnic ignition device

1. A short-circuit switching device or bypass switch, comprising:

a semiconductor element having at least one p-n junction; and

at least one pyrotechnic ignition device;

said semiconductor element being in a blocking state or at least being configured to be in a blocking state, prior to an ignition of said pyrotechnic ignition device based on an involvement of said p-n junction; and

said semiconductor element being at least partially destroyed, at least with respect to said at least one p-n junction, after the ignition of said pyrotechnic ignition device, and said semiconductor element being made at least partially conductive regardless of a current flow direction, due to explosion gas released by said ignition device after an explosion.

2. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

an anode and a cathode;

said semiconductor element having first and second n-doped semiconductor regions, said second n-doped semiconductor region being connected to said cathode or forming said cathode;

said semiconductor element having first and second p-doped semiconductor regions, said first p-doped semiconductor region being connected to said anode or forming said anode;

said first and second n-doped semiconductor regions and said first and second p-doped semiconductor regions forming at least three p-n junctions electrically in series between said anode and said cathode;

said p-n junctions including a first p-n junction between said first p-doped semiconductor region and said first n-doped semiconductor region, a second p-n junction between said first n-doped semiconductor region and said second p-doped semiconductor region, and a third p-n junction between said second p-doped semiconductor region and said second n-doped semiconductor region; and

said pyrotechnic ignition device being disposed to destroy at least said third p-n junction resulting in making at least said third p-n junction conductive regardless of the current flow direction, due to the explosion gas released by said pyrotechnic ignition device after an explosion.

3. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 2 , wherein said pyrotechnic ignition device is disposed to destroy at least said second and third p-n junctions resulting in making at least said second and third p-n junctions conductive regardless of the current flow direction, due to the explosion gas released by said pyrotechnic ignition device after an explosion.

4. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor element is a semiconductor wafer having a first wafer side and a second wafer side opposite to said first wafer side.

5. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 4 , wherein:

said pyrotechnic ignition device has an explosive charge and a gas conduction duct disposed in parallel with a plane of said semiconductor wafer, said gas conduction duct conducting the explosion gas produced by said explosive charge in parallel in a direction of a center of said wafer; and

the explosion gas released after an explosion destroys at least said third p-n junction in a region of said center of said wafer and makes at least said third p-n junction conductive regardless of the current flow direction.

6. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 5 , wherein the explosion gas released after an explosion also destroys said second p-n junction in said region of said center of said wafer and makes said second p-n junction conductive regardless of the current flow direction.

7. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor element is a semiconductor wafer having:

a first wafer side on which said first p-doped semiconductor region and said anode are disposed, and

a second wafer side on which said second n-doped semiconductor region and said cathode are disposed.

8. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 7 , which further comprise:

an electrode supported on one of said wafer sides and making electrical contact with said anode or said cathode;

said gas conduction duct of said pyrotechnic ignition device being formed by a duct-shaped cavity within said electrode or by a tube disposed within said duct-shaped cavity.

9. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said pyrotechnic ignition device directs the explosion gas released after an explosion toward a metallization applied to said semiconductor element or at least toward said metallization.

10. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second n-doped semiconductor regions and said first and second p-doped semiconductor regions form a thyristor in which said second p-doped semiconductor region forms a gate region of said thyristor.

11. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 4 , wherein said second p-doped semiconductor region extends in a direction of one of said two wafer sides and is contacted by a gate electrode applied to said wafer side.

12. The short-circuit switching device according to claim 10 , wherein said pyrotechnic ignition device directs the explosion gas released after an explosion toward a gate electrode making contact with said gate region or at least toward said gate electrode.

13. An arrangement being at least one of a converter, a multilevel converter, a voltage stabilization device, a reactive power controller or a reactive power compensation system, the arrangement comprising:

at least one module series circuit having at least two submodules connected electrically in series;

a control device for actuating said submodules; and

at least one short-circuit switching device according to claim 1 .

14. The arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein said submodules have outer connections, said at least one short-circuit switching device is a component part of one of said submodules, is connected in parallel with said outer connections and can short-circuit said outer connections.

15. A method for operating a short-circuit switching device or bypass switch, the method comprising:

providing the short-circuit switching device with a semiconductor element having at least one p-n junction, and providing the short-circuit switching device with at least one pyrotechnic ignition device;

switching the semiconductor element to a blocking state prior to an ignition of the pyrotechnic ignition device based of an involvement of the at least one p-n junction; and

at least partially destroying the semiconductor element, at least with respect to the at least one p-n junction, by ignition of the pyrotechnic ignition device, and making the semiconductor element at least partially conductive regardless of a current flow direction by using explosion gas released by the ignition device after an explosion.