SBIR-STTR Award

High power microwave (HPM) sources, have conventionally been driven by gas-switched pulsed power generators due to high voltage (> 100 kV), high current, and fast rise-time requirements. However, these traditional technologies impose significant limitations on advancements in HPM technology due to low repetition rate, short lifetime, limited waveshaping capabilities, and difficulty of synchronization. Recent advancements in solid state device technology, including wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC), have opened the door for development of a next generation of pulsed power drivers capable of overcoming these limitations, with rep-rates in the 10s to 100s of kHz, million-shot lifetime, arbitrary waveform capability, and sub-ns jitter. Further, optimization of solid-state device characteristics and packaging techniques tailored towards pulsed power application can result in smaller, lighter, and more efficient systems than can currently be achieved with commercially available devices. A solid-state module is proposed herein to address the limitations of conventional gas-switched pulsed power generators.

Benefit:
A successful research and development effort will yield a solid-state based pulsed power modulation system that represents a significant technological improvement in high power microwave (HPM) driver capabilities. In general, replacement of dated gas-switched pulsed power generators with state-of-the-art solid-state switching devices will directly lead to increased lifetime, improved reliability, and less required maintenance. In addition, the proposed approach leverages the advantages of solid-state switching, including simple and precise electronic control, variable pulse width, and high repetition rates upwards of 100s of kHz, to expand generator capabilities beyond what is possible with conventional systems. Of particular interest for DoD efforts, the precise timing (low jitter) performance of solid-state switching devices may enable advanced HPM generation techniques including electronic beam steering and direct drive of antennas. In the private sector, long lifetime, low maintenance, high rep-rate, and high reliability pulsed power systems may enable significant process improvements for pulsed electric field (PEF) applications, such as non-thermal PEF sterilization of food and water achieved via cell inactivation. In addition, PEF treatment sees widespread use in the medical industry, with improved performance achieved using the advanced pulse shaping capabilities of solid-state devices. For example, reversible cellular electroporation is widely used in a variety of medical applications including cell inactivation and transfection, processes which require precise control of the applied PEF characteristics. Further, nanosecond PEF (nsPEF) is an emerging area of interest which may benefit from advanced solid-state pulsed modulation capable of very fast rise-times (

Keywords:
solid state, solid state, Linear Transformer Driver, high power microwave, induction voltage adder, silicon carbide, Wide Bandgap, marx generator, pulsed power

High power microwave (HPM) sources have conventionally been driven by gas-switched pulsed power generators due to high voltage, high current, and fast rise-time requirements. However, these traditional technologies impose significant limitations on advancements in HPM technology due to low repetition rate, short lifetime, limited waveshaping capabilities, and difficulty of synchronization. Solid-state technologies, however, make possible a new generation of pulsed power drivers with wide-ranging pulse widths, fast repetition rates, and a high degree of waveform agility particularly well-suited for HPM applications. A solid-state alternative to traditional HPM drivers was developed during Phase I of this SBIR effort utilizing (1) SARAs ability to evaluate, test, and package state-of-the-art (SotA) silicon carbide (SiC) die into large pulsed power systems, and (2) GeneSiCs ability to develop SotA SiC devices. Building upon the Phase I development effort, a next-generation pulsed power modulator leveraging SotA semiconductor devices and advanced system architecture will be designed, built, and evaluated during Phase II.

Benefit:
A successful Phase II development effort will yield a solid-state based pulsed power modulation system that represents a significant technological improvement in high power microwave (HPM) driver capabilities. In general, replacement of dated gas-switched pulsed power generators with state-of-the-art (SotA) solid-state switching devices will directly lead to increased lifetime, improved reliability, and less required maintenance. In addition, the proposed approach leverages the advantages of solid-state switching, including simple and precise electronic control, variable pulse width, and high repetition rates upwards of 100s of kHz, to expand generator capabilities beyond what is possible with conventional systems. Of particular interest for DoD efforts, the precise timing (low jitter) performance of solid-state switching devices may enable advanced HPM generation techniques including electronic beam steering and direct drive of antennas. In the private sector, there are several commercial markets that will be advanced by the proposed modulator development. In particular, long lifetime, low maintenance, high rep-rate modulator capabilities may enable significant process improvements for pulsed electric field (PEF) applications, such as non-thermal PEF sterilization of food and water achieved via cell inactivation. Further, the proposed modulator system is particularly well-suited for use as a pulsed power source for induction accelerators useful in radiography (e.g. Scorpius) and heavy-ion applications including innovative medical treatments such as carbon ion (C-ion) therapy.

Keywords:
Linear Transformer Driver, phased array, Pulse Modulation, solid-state, Wide Bandgap, high power microwave, pulsed power, silicon carbide