New principles of high power switching with semiconductor devices

Abstract

The present-day laser and accelerator technology, new types of radar, controlled fusion research and other areas of science and applications require very high power switching (MW to TW) in the micro-, nano-, subnanosecond ranges. The new principles of switching make use of semiconductor devices for such power switching. The principle of switching involving a controlling plasma layer has been employed to develop three new classes of devices, namely, reversely switched dynistors (RSD), reversely controlled transistors (RCT), and drift step-recovery diodes (DSRD). The highest-power microsecond-range RSDs switch 300 kA single pulse current, and 50 kA current at 100 Hz; high power DSRDs generate current pulses of 10 3 A in a few nanoseconds at frequencies > 10 4 Hz. The switching principle based on the impact ionization wave was used to develop diode pulse sharpeners (PS) switching power of a hundreds kW in tens of picoseconds at a frequency > 10 4 Hz. By this principal parameter, pulsed switching power, all these devices surpass the devices employing the conventional principles.