Optimal design of semiconductor opening switches for use in the inductive stage of high power pulse generators

Semiconductor opening switches (SOS) are able to interrupt currents at density levels of up to 10 kA/cm2 in less than 10 ns, operate at repetition rates up to 1 kHz, and possess lifetimes of more than 1011 pulses. If stacked, SOS diodes can hold off voltage levels up to several 100 kV. They are therefore ideal for the design of compact high voltage pulse generators of the GW-class for industrial applications. The aim of this work was to improve our understanding of the opening process in a semiconductor diode of SOS-type with a doping profile of p+pnn+ structure, obtainable through diffusion from the surfaces. To simulate the physical processes inside this diode the code POSEOSS was developed. It contains a detailed physical model of charge carrier transport under the influence of density gradients and electric fields and considers all relevant generation and recombination processes. It possesses a large degree of flexibility and is easy to use, and thus allows to carry out parameter studies to determine the influence of different physical quantities, such as doping and impurity levels, on the performance of the device. When applying the code some interesting results concerning the plasma dynamics during the opening process in the switch have been found. In particular, using realistic values for the charge carrier mobility, it was found that the opening process starts first at the n–n+ boundary. Also it has been possible to derive the physical conditions for the occurrence of the SOS-effect. Based on the simulation results a simplified SOS equivalent circuit model has been developed. This model can be used in the circuit simulation program PSPICE. A pulse generator scheme based on inductive storage is proposed, in which power multiplication is achieved by unloading the inductors, previously charged in series, in parallel. This scheme can be considered as the inductive equivalent of a Marx-generator. PSPICE simulations of such a scheme based on semiconductor opening switches are presented. The theoretical results have been compared to measurements obtained with a simple experimental set-up using two 100 kV SOS-switches. The measurements showed good agreement with the simulation results. Further improvements seem possible by adapting the SOS device structure to the specific generator circuit.