Investigation of IGBT-devices for pulsed power applications

IGBT-switches from ABB Switzerland have been characterised at ISL with regard to civil and military pulsed power applications. The investigated devices are press-pack IGBT modules with a blocking voltage of 2.5 kV and a continuous current rating of 2 kA. Using capacitive energy storage systems the IGBT was investigated as closing switch with the objective of generating short current pulses with high amplitudes, as they are e. g. required for driving a high power microwave (HPM) source. Inductive energy storage systems have a higher energy density than capacitive systems. The drawback, however, is the need of opening switches in order to commutate the current into the load. For such a system we investigated the turn-off behaviour of the IGBT. The experiments show that the IGBT modules used are capable to generate 12 kA pulses with switching times below one microsecond. Investigating the IGBT as opening switch in an inductive storage circuit has proved its superiority over comparable switching configurations using power MOSFETs. Comparing IGBT and MOSFET configurations with the same total die size and same on-state resistance and therefore same price allows to gain advantage from a much higher commutation voltage in case of the IGBT, which in turn allows for a much shorter commutation time.