Diversified Technologies, Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Semiconductor thyristors have long been used as a replacement for thyratrons in low power or long pulse RF systems. To date, however, such thyristor assemblies have not demonstrated the reliability needed for installation in short pulse, high peak power RF stations used with many pulsed electron accelerators. The fast rising current in a thyristor tends to be carried in a small region, rather than across the whole device, and this localized current concentration can cause a short circuit failure. An alternate solid-state device, the insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), can readily operate at the speed needed for the accelerator, but commercial IGBTs cannot handle the voltage and current required. It is, however, possible to assemble these devices in arrays to reach the required performance levels without sacrificing their inherent speed. Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) has patented and refined the technology required to build these arrays of series-parallel connected switches. DTI is currently developing an affordable, reliable, form-fit-function replacement for the klystron modulator thyratrons at SLAC capable of pulsing at 360 kV, 420 A, 6 μs, and 120 Hz.
Diversified Technologies, Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Sigma Phi Electronics, Wissembourg, France
Sigmaphi, Vannes, France