Patent ID: 6624684
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
A high voltage switch comprising:a) a first terminal and a second terminal; b) a switch trigger input; c) a plurality of switching stages between the first terminal and the second terminal, such that each of the switching stages has a conductive path through the stage when the switch is closed and the switching stage is non-conductive when the switch is open, each stage comprising: i) a stage trigger input coupled to the switch trigger input; ii) a thyristor having an anode, a cathode and a gate, the thyristor forming a conductive path through the stage when the thyristor is turned on and opening the path when the thyristor is in a blocking state; ii) a gate switch having a trigger input coupled to the stage trigger input, an energy input, and an output coupled to the gate of the thyristor; iii) an energy storage section coupled to the anode of the thyristor and the cathode of the thyristor, the energy storage section including an output coupled to the energy input of the gate switch; such that when the thyristor is in a blocking state, energy is stored in the energy storage section, and when the stage trigger input is activated the gate switch closes and energy from the energy storage section energy output is applied to the gate of the thyristor, turning on the thyristor; the conductive paths of the switching stages being connected in series and the stage trigger inputs of the plurality of switching stages being coupled in parallel.