A Bipolar Pulse Rising Edge Steepening Circuit Based on Diode Reverse Recovery

Abstract

For the application process of high-voltage pulse generators, the problem of the stray inductance of the loop is often unavoidable, which severely limits the rise time of the pulse. Aimed at this problem, a bipolar pulse rising edge steepening circuit (BPRESC) topology is proposed in this article. BPRESC is based on the diode reverse recovery and works directly on the load side, making the pulse rise time regulated by the diode and no longer limited by the loop inductance, which can effectively reduce the pulse rise time. Compared with the previously proposed steepening methods, the proposed BPRESC has a simple structure with significant steepening effect and can be used to steepen bipolar pulse. The experimental test based on bipolar Marx generator further proves the validity and adjustability of the BPRESC. The final result shows that, for 3-kV bipolar high-voltage pulse, the BPRESC can reduce the rising time from 95 to 39.4 ns, which achieves a 61% reduction.