An all-solid-state pulsed power generator using a high-speed gate-turn-off thyristor and a saturable transformer

Recently, high-repetition-rate pulsed power generators using a magnetic pulse compression circuit (MPC) and semiconductor switches have been developed. We have developed a new all-solid-state pulsed power generator for use with a high-repetition-rate excimer laser and in an ozonizer. The all-solid-state generator consists of a semiconductor switch and an MPC with saturable inductors (SI) and a saturable transformer (ST). The semiconductor switch is a high-speed gate-turn-off (GTO) thyristor. The switching speed of the GTO thyristor was improved, decreasing the switching loss. The ST with an Fe-based nanocrystalline magnetic core has two functions, those of step-up transformer and magnetic switch. The high-speed GTO thyristor and the new MPC can be used to realize a high-performance, simple all-solid-state pulsed power generator. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 140(4): 17–26, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.2006