High power, high voltage FETs in linear applications: A user's perspective

The specifications of the current crop of high-power, high-voltage field-effect transistors (FETs) can lure a designer into employing them in high-voltage DC equipment. Devices with extremely low on-resistance and very high power ratings are available from several manufacturers. However, our experience shows that high-voltage, linear operation of these devices at near-continuous duty can present difficult reliability challenges at stress levels well-below their published specifications. This paper chronicles the design evolution of a 600 volt, 8 ampere shunt regulator for use with megawatt-class radio transmitters, and presents a final design that has met its reliability criteria.