Abstract: Atmospheric neutrons generated by the interaction of cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere can trigger failures in terrestrial information systems and power electronic systems. A considerable number of researches have been conducted on the experimental methods and irradiation effects of atmospheric neutrons on insulate gate bipolar ransistor(IGBT) and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET) both domestically and internationally; however, there are scarce studies on the irradiation effects of atmospheric neutrons on thyristors. With the advancement of UHVDC power transmission in China, it is urgently necessary to complete the research on the irradiation effect of atmospheric neutrons on thyristors. In this paper, the research status in the field of the irradiation effect of atmospheric neutrons on thyristors is reviewed, and the fundamental knowledge of atmospheric neutrons is introduced. The experimental methods and data processing approaches are summarized. The experimental results and the current comprehension of the single event burnout(SEB) mechanism of high-voltage semiconductor devices are presented. Moreover, the protection strategy and the progress of shielding materials are discussed, and the problems that need to be solved in the subsequent study are pointed out.