Patent ID: 8866534

Claim:
A semiconductor switching device comprising: a control-triggered stage comprising: a plurality of semiconductor devices connected in parallel, each semiconductor device comprising a power input, a power output, and a control input; and a control switch coupled to the control input of each semiconductor device, the control switch configured for turning on each semiconductor device; and one or more auto-triggered stages, each respective auto-triggered stage comprising: a plurality of semiconductor devices connected in parallel, each semiconductor device of the respective auto-triggered stage comprising a power input, a power output, and a control input; and a breakover switch comprising a first end and a second end, the first end of the breakover switch of the respective auto-triggered stage coupled to the power input of each semiconductor device of the respective auto-triggered stage, the second end of the breakover switch of the respective auto-triggered stage coupled to the control input of each semiconductor device of the respective auto-triggered stage, wherein the control-triggered stage is connected in series with one of the one or more auto-triggered stages and the one or more auto-triggered stages are connected in series, and wherein the one or more auto-triggered stages are configured to turn on when the control-triggered stage turns on.