Fast high-voltage pulse generation using nonlinear capacitors

• Published in: IEEE transactions on plasma science Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 1362 - 1367
• Main Authors: Rim, G.-H., Lee, H.-S., Pavlov, E.P., Kim, G.-H., Cho, C.-H., Choi, Y.-W., Kim, J.-S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.10.2000; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Capacitors; Electric potential; Electrical engineering; Electrical equipment; Electricity; Electron tubes; Energy storage; Gas tubes (electronic); Nonlinearity; Power semiconductor switches; Pulse amplifiers; Pulse generation; Semiconductor device reliability; Semiconductors; Sparks; Switches; Thyratrons; Voltage
• ISSN: 0093-3813; 1939-9375
• DOI: 10.1109/27.901199

Many pulsed power applications require short high-voltage pulses with a high-repetition rate. Conventional high-voltage discharge pulse-switches such as thyratrons, spark gap switches, and vacuum tube switches have a short lifetime, whereas the semiconductor switches have a long lifetime and high reliability. The semiconductor switches, however cannot be directly applied to fast high-voltage pulsed power generation due to their limited operating voltage ratings despite their relatively long switching times. Therefore, they are used with voltage amplification and a pulse compression stage. This paper describes two pulse generators that use the semi-conductor switches and nonlinear capacitors: one is based on an opening switch (IGBT) and inductive energy storage, the other is a combination of a closing switch (RSD) and capacitive energy storage.