Optically-triggered GaAs thyristor switches: Integrated structures for environmental hardening

Conference · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6488480

Carson, R F; Weaver, H T; Hughes, R C; Zipperian, T E; Brennan, T M; Hammons, B E

Optically-triggered thyristor switches often operate in adverse environments, such as high temperature and high dose-rate transient radiation, which can result in lowered operating voltage and premature triggering. These effects can be reduced by connecting or monolithically integrating a reverse-biased compensating photodiode or phototransistor into the gate of the optically-triggered thyristor. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of this hardening concept in silicon thyristors packaged with photodiodes, and in gallium arsenide optically-triggered thyristors monolithically integrated with compensating phototransistors.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6488480
• Report Number(s): SAND-90-0736C; CONF-901102--1; ON: DE91001355
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426000 -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
440200* -- Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HARDENING
OPERATION
PHOTODIODES
PHOTOTRANSISTORS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PNICTIDES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION HARDENING
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
SWITCHES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THYRISTORS
TRANSISTORS