A new method to build a high-voltage pulse supply using only semiconductor switches for plasma-immersion ion implantation

A new method to obtain high voltage (kV) pulses suitable for a plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) facility is presented. The circuit proposed is based on a step-up transformer with a constant flux reset clamp circuit that takes advantage of the low duty ratio required to reduce the voltage stress on all semiconductor switches. An initial prototype was assembled with 800-V semiconductor switches for an output pulse of −5 kV, 5-μs pulse width and 10-kHz pulse frequency. Theoretical and experimental results are presented and discussed.