Patent ID: 8456220

Claim:
A method for operating a plasma installation, an induction heating installation, or a laser excitation installation in a pulsed power output operation, the method comprising: producing and discharging, by at least one semiconductor switching element of a power generator for supplying power to a plasma process, an induction heating process, or a laser excitation process, a first power P OUT1.1 during a power output time period ΔT 1 in a power output operation, the first power P OUT1.1 being discharged at a power output of the power generator, wherein a first power loss P V1 is produced in the at least one semiconductor switching element during the power output time period ΔT 1 at the same time as the first power P OUT1.1 is being produced; controlling the at least one semiconductor switching element to produce a second power loss P V2 in the at least one semiconductor switching element during a pulse pause time period ΔT 2 in a pulse pause operation during which no power P OUT2.1 suitable for the ignition or the operation of the plasma process, the induction heating process, or the laser excitation process is produced at the power output of the power generator by the at least one semiconductor switching element of the power generator; and continuously alternating the power output operation and the pulse pause operation; wherein the produced power losses P V1 , P V2 are converted into heat, and a reduction of a temperature of the at least one semiconductor switching element by more than a predetermined value is prevented by the controlling of the at least one semiconductor switching element.