High-Voltage Pulse Generators – Sky Blue Microsystems GmbH

High-Voltage Pulse Generators

EHT pulse generators are designed to provide precision control over the output waveform to enable process optimization. These units have an isolated/floating output and can be biased with respect to the load or grounded. They have been designed to drive plasma loads for medical devices, basic research, and semiconductor processing.

The duty cycle, output voltage, and pulse repetition frequency can each be independently adjusted by the user from zero to their max. Isolated/floating output can be biased with respect to the load.

The user specifies required characteristics based upon application need. A build scenario could be:

The unit is delivered as a turnkey system and can be operated from the front panel, or by remote control. Current source only, or source-and-sink, options are available.

Duty cycle, pulse repetition frequency, and output voltage are all independently, user adjustable from zero to maximum value. Maximum output voltage and power are set at time of order. Please contact Sky Blue to discuss your application’s specific needs.

High Voltage Modulators

EHT modulators are designed to generate precision high voltage pulses for tube and grid driving applications. These units can respond to changing load on fast timescales (< 10 µs). They are unique in that they require low voltage inputs (< 1 kV) to produce high voltage outputs. 

EHT power systems have been used for neutral beam injection systems, klystron driving, and other high power RF tube driving.

EHT also designs pulser generators to your specifications.

Sample specifications are shown below. These units can be customized. 

Neutral Beam Power System

Eagle Harbor Technologies Neutral Beam Power System waveform showing 15 kV for 7.5 ms pulse.
Waveform of Neutral Beam Power System:15 kV for 7.5 ms pulse.
Eagle Harbor Technologies Neutral Beam Power System waveform showing Voltage increases from 7.5 kV to 15 kV in 20 µs.
Waveform of Neutral Beam Power System: Fast modulation of grid voltage. Voltage increases from 7.5 kV to 15 kV in 20 µs. Overshoot can be eliminated by changing switching duty cycle in real time.

50 kV Klystron Driver

Eagle Harbor Technologies 50 kV Klystron Driver waveform showing 50 kV output pulse with less than 1% ripple.
Waveform of 50 kV Klystron Driver: 50 kV output pulse with less than 1% ripple.

High Voltage Switch Module

EHT High Voltage Switch (HVS) Modules consist of a series and/or parallel arrangement of solid-state switches with integrated fiber optic trigger, precision gate drive, and fast energy storage. Using an EHT HVS module eliminates the challenges typically associated with series stacking including voltage sharing, thermal balancing, triggering. This allows the user to focus on power system development.

Low Current HVS (< 200 A)

Specifications

High Current HVS (< 1 kA)

Specifications

40 kV Pulsed Power System

Arc Pulse Width Modulation | Arc Modulation Power System

Using the Integrated Power Module (IPM), which is a high current solid-state switch, and high voltage nanosecond pulsers, EHT developed a solid-state system to initiate, drive, and modulate an arc. By decoupling the high voltage pulse required to initiate breakdown and the high current required to sustain the arc, each component can be controlled and optimized individually.

Waveform for an Eagle Harbor Technologies NSP-driven pseudospark. Load voltage and current for an arc and a 1 pF voltage divider.
Waveform for an NSP-driven pseudospark. Load voltage (yellow) and current (green) for an arc and a 1 pF voltage divider.

The EHT NSP (20 kV, 120 W) has been previously used for generating pseudosparks and initiating discharges. Using a 1 pF voltage divider and current monitor, the load voltage and current were measured. The waveform shows the voltage (yellow) reaching a peak before the discharge occurs and current (green) begins to flow. Once current starts flowing, the voltage across the electrodes collapses, and the current is constant for the duration of the pulse. In this example, the current output of the NSP was resistively limited to about 30 A. For higher current applications, the NSP can be combined with the EHT IPM, which can drive higher currents in the arc for longer duration pulses.

Eagle Harbor Technologies Circuit diagram of pulsed-power system showing simplified NSP and IPM.
Circuit diagram of pulsed-power system showing simplified NSP and IPM.

The NSP and IPM were integrated into a system that can be connected to the electrode. The circuit diagram is shown above. This figure shows a simplified version of the NSP and IPM without many of their components, but the basic concept is illustrated. Diodes D1 and D3 will need to be constructed. These diodes prevent the NSP from driving the IPM and vice versa.

Eagle Harbor Technologies air gap arc waveform showing Vce and load current with 800 V charge and peak current of 700 A, and PWM parameters: 2.2 MHz, 310 ns pulses.
Waveforms for air gap arc: Vce (yellow) and load current (magenta) with 800 V charge and peak current of 700 A. PWM parameters: 2.2 MHz, 310 ns pulses (70% duty cycle).

The arc was initiated with the high voltage of the NSP and sustained with the high current of the IPM. The figure shows the voltage across the solid-state switch in the IPM (yellow) and current in the load (magenta). At a IPM charge voltage of 800 V, 700 A was pulse width modulated (PWM) at 2.2 MHz in the plasma load at 70% duty cycle. In this system, an inductor (~500 nH) was added between the IPM and D3 to minimize the current ripple. This had the additional effect of slowing down the current rise out of the IPM to ~4 μs. Alternatively, the IPM could be triggered before the NSP. No current will flow until the arc is triggered by the EHT NSP. This system could be burst at 100 Hz – 1 kHz. 

Unipolar Arbitrary Pulsers (below 10 kV)

Specifications

Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV) waveform with isolated output and a single pulser produces 1 kV, 5 μs, 100 kHz into 6 kΩ.
Waveform of Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV): isolated output produces a wide range of pulse parameters with a single pulser – 1 kV, 5 μs, 100 kHz into 6 kΩ.
Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV) waveform with Pre-Pulse technology off providing 50 Ω load, 10 µH of inductance, and 10 nF capacitance.
Waveform of Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV): Pre-Pulse technology off – 50 Ω load, 10 µH of inductance, and 10 nF capacitance.
Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV) waveform with Pre-Pulse technology on providing 50 Ω load, 10 µH of inductance, and 10 nF capacitance.
Waveform of Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (below 10 kV): Pre-Pulse technology on – 50 Ω load, 10 µH of inductance, and 10 nF capacitance.

Unipolar Arbitrary Pulsers (above 10 kV)

Specifications

Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser waveform (above 10 kV) showing 20 μs pulse width of 30 kV into 20 pF load by Eagle Harbor Technologies.
Waveform of Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (above 10 kV): 20 μs pulse width of 30 kV into 20 pF load.
Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser waveform (above 10 kV) showing 100 μs pulse width of 30 kV into 20 pF load by Eagle Harbor Technologies.
Waveform of Unipolar Arbitrary Pulser (above 10 kV): 100 μs pulse width of 30 kV into 20 pF load.

Bipolar Pulsers

Specifications

Bipolar Pulser waveform showing bipolar 2 μs pulses with floating output providing 2 kV into 6 kΩ at 70 kHz – Eagle Harbor Technologies.
Waveform of Bipolar Pulser: bipolar 2 μs pulses with floating output – 2 kV into 6 kΩ at 70 kHz.
Bipolar Pulser waveform showing bipolar 2 μs pulses with floating output providing 6 kV into 2.5 kΩ at 100 kHz – Eagle Harbor Technologies.
Waveform of Bipolar Pulser: bipolar 2 μs pulses with floating output – 6 kV into 2.5 kΩ at 100 kHz.

Product Data

Isolated Pulse Generator IPG-1000 with high current, solid-state switching at high frequency by Ea-gle Harbor Technologies.
Isolated Pulse Generator IPG-1000: adjustable output voltage 1 – 10 kV.
Arbitrary Pulse Generator APG-1500-30-P with user adjustable duty cycle, pulse repetition frequen-cy, and output voltage – Eagle Harbor Technologies.
Arbitrary Pulse Generator APG-1500-30-P: clean square wave output with fast rise/fall times.
Eagle Harbor Technologies 50 kV Klystron Driver with ripple less than or equal to ±1% and 12 A Driver Output current.
50 kV Klystron Driver with ripple less than or equal to ±1%.
Eagle Harbor Technologies High Voltage Switch Module supports Low Current < 200 A or High Current < 1 kA.
EHT High Voltage Switch (HVS): Low Current (< 200 A), High Current (< 1 kA). 
Eagle Harbor Technologies 40 kV Pulsed Power System with floating output centered around ground and 800 A maximum nominal current.
EHT 40 kV Pulsed Power System with floating output centered around ground