A planar integrated RCD snubber/voltage clamp

An electromagnetically integrated resistor-capacitor-diode (RCD) snubber/voltage clamp is described which uses a planar construction technique. The design and construction are described, and the performance is verified experimentally. This integrated RCD snubber/voltage clamp can be used to replace a conventional snubber/clamp constructed from discrete components. It offers a wide variety of advantages over its discrete counterpart. The stray inductance in the component has been reduced to the absolute minimum. Thermally, the planar resistive structure has an advantage over wire wound resistors, due to a larger cooling area. The planar nature of the structure lends itself to mass production in a similar manner as integrated signal electronics, leading to cost reduction. The use of integrated components in the large-scale production of power electronic equipment can lead to a reduction in cost due to the assembly of fewer discrete components