Long lifetime silicon photoconductive semiconductor switches

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6732303

Loubriel, G M; Zutavern, F J; Denison, G J; Helgeson, W D; McLaughlin, D L; O'Malley, M W; Sifford, C H; Beavis, L C; Seager, C H ^[1]; Rosen, A ^[2]; Madonna, R G ^[3]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. David Sarnoff Research Center, Princeton, NJ (United States)
3. Grumman Corp., Bethpage, NY (United States). Corporate Technology

We present the results of experiments aimed at improving the lifetime (longevity) of Si photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) . Because damage at the metal-semiconductor interface is the primary damage mechanism in most PCSS, we have tested different contact metallizations. The test setup utilizes: a ND:YAG laser that operates at 540 Hz with 50 NJ, 10 ns FWHM pulses; a circuit that charges a 50 a line in800 ns and discharges it in 20 ns through a 50 a load; and a lateral switch geometry and 0.25 cm by 0.25 cm switches. The contacts examined include: Cr(diffused)-Cr-Mo-Au, Al(diffused)-Cr-Mo-Au, [sup 31]p (ion implanted)-Ti-Pt, Al(diffused)Pt-Ti-Pd-Au, and edge contacts. In the case of the Cr contacts we have tried thicker Mo or Au layers. For the Al contacts we have tried 1 [mu]m and 0.1 pm thick depositions. Most contacts survived 10[sup 7] pulses when switching 32 kv/cm (8 kV over 0.25 cm). The Al diffused went up to 44 kv/cm (1 [times] 10[sup 5] pulses). The implanted P switch was switched 2.2 [times] 10[sup 7] times at 44 kv/cm and 0.9 [times] 10[sup 6] times at 48 kv/cm.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; DOD; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6732303
• Report Number(s): SAND-92-1202C; CONF-930159--13; ON: DE93006757; CNN: F29601-91-C0046
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426000* -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUIPMENT
ION IMPLANTATION
ISOTOPES
LIFETIME
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PHOSPHORUS 31
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SWITCHES