T04.3 - 2.5-kV 6.4-ns 100-kHz Repetitive GaN Marx Generator

Highly repetitive Marx generator based on self-triggering GaN HEMTs is proposed and experimentally verified. The 2 to 5 stage GaN Marx generator prototypes are realized and only one gate driver ICs is required. With a DC input ranging from 100 to 500 V, the proposed GaN Marx generators consistently produce output voltage pulses at repetition frequencies between 10 and 100 kHz, achieving a voltage conversion efficiency (VCE)—defined as the ratio of output voltage to the product of the number of stages and input voltage—of 100%. The 5-stage Marx generator utilizing GaN HEMTs delivers pulses with a peak voltage of 2.5 kV, a rise time of 6.4 ns, and a repetition rate of 100 kHz. This overall performance surpasses that of previously reported Marx generators using Si avalanche transistors, SiC MOSFETs, and GaN HEMTs. Therefore, the proposed GaN HEMT-based Marx generator presents a highly promising solution for applications requiring highly repetitive pulsed power supplies.