# Compact Design and Impact Ionization: Utilizing Small-Sized Thyristors in a 4-Stage Marx Generator
## 4 Summary  
This research focuses on developing an innovative methodology for triggering industrial thyristors in high-voltage applications, particularly within particle accelerators. By employing boosted gate triggering, we substantially improve the switching dynamics of SiC MOSFET devices, enhancing both dU/dt and dI/dt performance. The improved output pulse from these SiC MOSFETs is then fed into a small-package thyristor Marx generator, which sharpens the falling edge and amplifies the pulse amplitude. This approach accelerates operation while enhancing efficiency, outperforming conventional triggering techniques.  
This work explores recent developments in pulse sharpening and amplification, designed to achieve the required voltage, current, and dU/dt for triggering a stack of thyristors in impact-ionization mode. By pushing the boundaries of the operational capabilities of COTS components, we increased both voltage and current outputs while maintaining sub-nanosecond switching times. The resulting pulse generator operates near the limits of switching performance, reaching a turn-on slew rate of over 1 kV/ns. However, the output voltage at the SiC MOSFET level does not yet reach the triggering voltage required for 2.4 kV rated thyristors. To address this limitation, a D2 PAK thyristor-based Marx generator has been incorporated.  
The proposed solution, while it involves various challenges, offers significant advantages. Utilizing compact topologies and commercially available components has led to a smaller, reproducible design with the potential for cost savings. Additionally, the technology's rapid response to beam dump requests suggests it could serve as an alternative to traditional systems in particle accelerators, potentially offering enhanced performance. However, further validation in real-world operational conditions is required to confirm its feasibility for full implementation. Our method minimizes the delay between the trigger request and the output signal by allowing direct signal propagation through the stages. In comparison, the opening switch approach necessitates a preparation time exceeding 500 nanoseconds. Alongside these significant findings, we have introduced an innovative and simple means of measuring high-voltage (HV) pulses seamlessly integrated within a PCB, all while keeping costs to a minimum.  
Looking ahead, further research will involve testing this pulse generator as the trigger for a stack of thyristors to achieve higher output voltages and currents. We developed technology capable of responding in nanoseconds, such as for beam dump requests, significantly reducing reaction times by two orders of magnitude compared to current technologies. Demonstrating that this triggering method is both reliable and economical for accelerator systems could pave the way for its adoption in place of prevailing thyratron-based systems.  
Conceptualization, V.S.; methodology, A.d.B.M. and V.S.; validation, A.d.B.M., V.S., and M.S.; formal analysis, A.d.B.M.; investigation, A.d.B.M., V.S. and M.S.; resources, A.d.B.M. and V.S.; software, A.d.B.M.; data curation, A.d.B.M.; writing--original draft preparation, A.d.B.M.; writing--review and editing, V.S. and M.S.; visualization, A.d.B.M.; supervision, V.S. and M.S.; project administration, T.K., G.M. and M.S.; funding acquisition, T.K., G.M. and M.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This work has been sponsored by the Wolfgang Gentner Programme of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant no. 13E18 CHA).  
Data Availability Statement: Data is contained within the article.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.