Numerical analysis of electric field profiles in high-voltage GaAs photoconductive switches and comparison to experiment

The electric field in GaAs photoconductive switches has been observed with an ultrafast electro-optic imaging system to develop complex spatial and temporal structure immediately after illumination. High-field domains form at the switch cathode as the photogenerated carriers recombine for bias fields above approximately 10 kV/cm. At these biases, the switch also remained conductive for a much longer time ( approximately 100 ns) than the material recombination time ( approximately 1 ns). A model which includes field-dependent mobility was developed to explain this data. Simulation of the electric field profile across the switch indicates that high-field domains which form at the switch cathode are the result of negative differential resistance. >

[1]  Herbert Kroemer,et al.  Theory of the Gunn effect , 1964 .

[2]  J. S. Heeks.  Some properties of the moving high-field domain in Gunn effect devices , 1966 .

[3]  M. Ohtomo.  Nucleation of High-Field Domains in n-GaAs , 1968 .

[4]  S. M. Sze,et al.  Physics of semiconductor devices , 1969 .

[5]  H. Gummel,et al.  Large-signal analysis of a silicon Read diode oscillator , 1969 .

[6]  S. Selberherr.  Analysis and simulation of semiconductor devices , 1984 .

[7]  R. Youmans,et al.  Modeling of the optically controlled semiconductor switch , 1986 .

[8]  T. Ikoma,et al.  Computer-aided analysis of GaAs n-i-n structures with a heavily compensated i-layer , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[9]  A. E. Iverson,et al.  Mathematical modeling of photoconductor transient response , 1987, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[10]  Guillermo M. Loubriel,et al.  Recent developments in opening photoconductive semiconductor switches , 1987 .

[11]  A. E. Iverson,et al.  Transient photoconductive response of InP:Fe , 1987 .

[12]  A. Evan Iverson.  The mathematical modeling of photoconductive power switches , 1988 .

[13]  L. P. Schanwald,et al.  Photoconductive semiconductor switch (pcss) recovery , 1989, 7th Pulsed Power Conference.

[14]  M. Weiner,et al.  Rf oscillations in optically activated semi-insulating GaAs , 1989, 7th Pulsed Power Conference.

[15]  F. Zutavern,et al.  Closing photoconductive semiconductor switches , 1989, 7th Pulsed Power Conference.

[16]  T. Shibata,et al.  Fullwave analysis of picosecond photoconductive switches , 1990 .

[17]  William H. Press,et al.  Numerical recipes , 1990 .

[18]  William R. Donaldson,et al.  Electro-optic imaging of the internal fields in a GaAs photoconductive switch , 1990 .

[19]  W. Donaldson,et al.  Electrooptic imaging of surface electric fields in high-power photoconductive switches , 1990 .

[20]  M. D. Pocha,et al.  Modeling GaAs high-voltage, subnanosecond photoconductive switches in one spatial dimension , 1990 .

[21]  W.D. Helgeson,et al.  High Gain Photoconductive Semiconductor Switching , 1991, Eighth IEEE International Conference on Pulsed Power.

[22]  David C. Stoudt,et al.  Analysis of time-dependent current transport in an optically controlled Cu-compensated GaAs switch , 1992, Photonics West - Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering.

[23]  Jeff C. Adams,et al.  Time-dependent model of optically activated GaAs switch , 1993, Photonics West - Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering.