Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches for pulsed power applications
Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) are being used in, or tested for, many different pulsed power applications as diverse as ultrawideband (UWB) transmitters and high current pulsers. Some aspects of the switches that are relevant to most of the applications are: switch lifetime (longevity), switch opening time (related to the lifetime of carriers in the semiconductor), switching jitter, and the required laser energy. This paper will emphasize the results that we have obtained with Si switches for UWB applications. These include: measurement of switch longevity (a total of 80 Coulombs or 40 C/cm for a 2 cm wide switch and 18.4 Coulombs or 73 Coulombs/cm for a 0.25 cm wide switch), switching at high repetition rates (up to 540 Hz), measurement of carrier lifetime decay rates (a fast one of a few {mu}s, and a slow one of about 330 {mu}s), and measurements on the effect of neutron irradiation on carrier lifetimes. The total charge switched seems to be the highest ever reported for a PCSS. We have used these Si switches in a variety of circuits to produce: a monocycle with a period of about 10 ns corresponding to a center frequency of about 84 MHz, and ringing (many pulse) waveforms with periods of about 1 ns and 7.5 ns corresponding to center frequencies of 770 MHz and 133 MHz. We will also discuss recent studies on the switching properties of GaP.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 10180525
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-93-1630C; CONF-930616-31; ON: DE93019411; CNN: Contract F29601-91-C0046
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 9. IEEE pulsed power conference,Albuquerque, NM (United States),21-23 Jun 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
TESTING
SILICON
CARRIER LIFETIME
PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY
MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
SERVICE LIFE
GALLIUM PHOSPHIDES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
NEUTRON FLUENCE
426000
360605
360606
COMPONENTS
ELECTRON DEVICES AND CIRCUITS
RADIATION EFFECTS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES