Modular High-Voltage Switch with fast Rise Time

For an experimental setup for the treatment of biological cells by Pulsed Electric Fields a modular semiconductor-based closing switch has been developed. The switch consists of separate modules, which can be assembled according to the requirements of the experiment. The modules have been designed for use in a closing switch for a Blumlein-type pulse generator to deliver a pulse voltage of up to 9.6 kV into a 100 Ohm load with a pulse length between 10 ns and 50 ns. Each module is equipped with two MOSFETs in parallel configuration. For switching a higher voltage the modules are stacked. MOSFET drivers, control circuitry, and an auxiliary power supply are part of each module. The control circuitry enables a synchronized switching of the modules of a stack within 1 ns. The modular MOSFET…