Solid-state pulse modulator for a 1.7-MW X-band magnetron

Medical linear accelerators (LINAC) for cancer treatment require pulse modulators to generate high-power pulses with a fast rise time, flat top and short duration to drive high-power magnetrons. Solid-state pulse modulators (SSPM) for medical LINACs that use high power semiconductor switches with high repetition rates, high stability and long lifetimes have been introduced to replace conventional linear-type pulse generators that use gaseous discharge switches. In this paper, the performance of a developed SSPM, which mainly consists of a capacitor charger, an insulatedgate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-capacitor stack and a pulse transformer, is evaluated with a dummy load and an X-band magnetron load. A theoretical analysis of the pulse transformer, which is a critical element of the SSPM, is carried out. The output pulse has a fast rise time and low droop, such that the modulator can drive the X-band magnetron.