A low-jitter 1.8-kV 100-ps rise-time 50-kHz repetition-rate pulsed-power generator

A 1.8-kV 100-ps rise-time pulsed-power generator operating at a repetition frequency of 50 kHz is presented. The generator consists of three compression stages. In the first stage, a power MOSFET produces high voltage by breaking an inductor current. In the second stage, a 3-kV drift-step-recovery diode cuts the reverse current rapidly to create a 1-ns rise-time pulse. In the last stage, a silicon-avalanche shaper is used as a fast 100-ps closing switch. Experimental investigation showed that, by optimizing the generator operating point, the shot-to-shot jitter can be reduced to less than 13 ps. The theoretical model of the pulse-forming circuit is presented.