A nanosecond high voltage pulse generator for measuring space charge distribution

The pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method is widely known to be an excellent method for measuring the space charge distribution that accumulates in thick solid dielectric materials. One of the most important conditions for developing the measurement technique is that a high-voltage pulse (>400 V, pulse width<20 ns) must be easy to generate. In this paper, a new high voltage pulse generator using the 50 /spl Omega/ matching type mercury relay is designed, the impulse width is about 8 ns. The pulser fundamentals and experimental results are presented, and some factors affecting the pulse waveform are discussed and experimented. This pulser is useful for the measurement of the space charge distribution in dielectric films, and can contribute to other industrial applications in investigating dielectric breakdown and the characteristic of the insulation materials.