Design and performance of deflected-beam electron-bombarded semiconductor amplifiers

This paper describes the design and testing of developmental electron-bombarded semiconductor (EBS) devices as pulsed dc and pulsed RF amplifiers. These devices employ a well-focused electron beam deflected in proportion to the input signal to control the current in a semiconductor target. Both Class A and Class B amplifier configurations are described, with a prediction of their relative efficiency and distortion properties. The deflection sensitivity of simple deflection plates and traveling-wave deflection systems is considered. Experimental results are given for amplifiers with planar passivated semiconductor targets and traveling-wave deflection systems operated as video-pulsed amplifiers and Class B RF amplifiers. Performance of nanosecond-risetime videopulse amplifiers with peak output power greater than 700 W and efficiency in excess of 80 percent is described. Test data are presented from RF amplifiers with efficiency performance of 60 percent. A comparison of theoretical and experimental results is given based upon a computer simulation of semiconductor target performance. Preliminary life test data showing stabilized diode performance with negligible reverse breakdown voltage deterioration are presented.