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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

The Current Voltage Characteristics Of Electron Beam Controlled Thin Film Diamond Switches, Christopher Anthony Molina Oct 1994

The Current Voltage Characteristics Of Electron Beam Controlled Thin Film Diamond Switches, Christopher Anthony Molina

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The dark current of natural diamond thin films and the induced current due to electron-beam irradiation was measured up to a range of 7000Ncm'. The contact material was aluminum, annealed and unannealed. Switching experiments were performed with electron energies ranging from 70keV to 172keV. The switching results obtained are strongly dependent on the biasing polarity, incident electron energy, and whether the contact is blocking or Ohmic in nature. A simple model which takes traps into consideration allows us to explain the various switching responses. The range of electrons which define, in part, the switch mode was measured for one sample …


Transient Simulations And Modelling Of Semi-Insulating Gaas Photoconductive Switches, Prasun Kumar Raha Jul 1994

Transient Simulations And Modelling Of Semi-Insulating Gaas Photoconductive Switches, Prasun Kumar Raha

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The primary objective of this thesis is to develop a one-dimensional transient simulator for Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) taking into consideration the material characteristics, the internal physical effects, and the external circuit. Simulations have been performed to study the device behavior at different voltage levels for copper-doped silicon-compensated GaAs material, though other materials could easily be simulated by changing the parameters. The model includes hole transport, and the results demonstrate the effect of hole injection, with and without recombination centers. In addition to developing a one-dimensional transient simulator, the role of various physical effects, such as the field-dependence of trapping …


Optical And High Electric Field Effects In Bulk Gallium Arsenide Switches, Randy Roush Oct 1990

Optical And High Electric Field Effects In Bulk Gallium Arsenide Switches, Randy Roush

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

During the past few years, bulk, photoconductive switching has become recognized as a viable topic for future research on moderate and high power switches. The two-pulse, or BOSS, concept relies on an excitation laser pulse, and a separate de-excitation pulse in conjunction with silicon doped, copper compensated, GaAs to create a variable temporal electrical pulse width. The research contained in this document provides information concerning the feasibility of the BOSS concept, as the switch is scaled to larger sizes, and higher voltage and current. The major concern will be the high voltage and current effects. The absorption length for 1064 …


Influence Of Copper Doping On The Performance Of Optically Controlled Gaas Switches, St. T. Ko, V. K. Lakdawala, K. H. Schoenbach, M. S. Mazzola Jan 1990

Influence Of Copper Doping On The Performance Of Optically Controlled Gaas Switches, St. T. Ko, V. K. Lakdawala, K. H. Schoenbach, M. S. Mazzola

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The influence of the copper concentration in silicon-doped gallium arsenide on the photoionization and photoquenching of charge carriers was studied both experimentally and theoretically. The studies indicate that the compensation ratio (NCu/NSi) is an important parameter for the GaAs:Si:Cu switch systems with regard to the turn-on and turn-off performance. The optimum copper concentration for the use of GaAs:Si:Cu as an optically controlled closing and opening switch is determined.


Nanosecond Optical Quenching Of Photoconductivity In A Bulk Gaas Switch, M. S. Mazzola, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, S. T. Ko Jan 1989

Nanosecond Optical Quenching Of Photoconductivity In A Bulk Gaas Switch, M. S. Mazzola, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, S. T. Ko

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Persistent photoconductivity in copper-compensated, silicon-doped semi-insulating gallium arsenide with a time constant as large as 30 µs has been excited by sub-band-gap laser radiation of photon energy greater than 1 eV. This photoconductivity has been quenched on a nanosecond time scale by laser radiation of photon energy less than 1 eV. The proven ability to turn the switch conductance on and off on command, and to scale the switch to high power could make this semiconductor material the basis of an optically controlled pulsed-power closing and opening switch.


Gaas Photoconductive Closing Switches With High Dark Resistance And Microsecond Conductivity Decay, M. S. Mazzola, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, R. Germer, G. M. Loubriel, F. J. Zutavern Jan 1989

Gaas Photoconductive Closing Switches With High Dark Resistance And Microsecond Conductivity Decay, M. S. Mazzola, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, R. Germer, G. M. Loubriel, F. J. Zutavern

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Silicon-doped n-type gallium arsenide crystals, compensated with diffused copper, were studied with respect to their application as photoconductive, high-power closing switches. The attractive features of GaAs:Cu switches are their high dark resistivity, their efficient activation with Nd:YAG laser radiation, and their microsecond conductivity decay time constant. In the authors' experiment, electric fields are high as 19 kV/cm were switched, and current densities of up to 10 kA/cm2 were conducted through a closely compensated crystal. At field strengths greater than approximately 10 kV/cm, a voltage `lock-on' effect was observed.


An Optically Controlled Closing And Opening Semiconductor Switch, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, R. Germer, S. T. Ko Jan 1988

An Optically Controlled Closing And Opening Semiconductor Switch, K. H. Schoenbach, V. K. Lakdawala, R. Germer, S. T. Ko

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A concept for a bulk semiconductor switch is presented, where the conductivity is increased and reduced, respectively, through illumination with light of different wavelengths. The increase in conductivity is accomplished by electron ionization from deep centers and generation of bound holes. The reduction of conductivity is obtained by hole ionization from the excited centers and subsequent recombination of free electrons and holes. The transient behavior of electron and hole density in a high power semiconductor (GaAs:Cu) switch is computed by means of a rate equation model. Changes in conductivity by five orders of magnitude can be obtained.