Optical and electron-beam control of semiconductor switches

Author

Schoenbach, K. ; Lakdawala, V. ; Ko, S. ; Mazzola, M. ; Stoudt, D. ; Smith, T.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA, USA

fYear

1988

fDate

20-22 Jun 1988

Firstpage

318

Lastpage

324

Abstract

Two ongoing research projects on bulk semiconductor switches which can be closed and opened on command are described. Both types of switches have the advantage of requiring small energies to support the conductivity and switching action on a nanosecond time scale. The switch mechanism in one of the projects is based on laser quenching of photoconductivity in semiconductors containing certain deep level impurities. Investigators in GaAs and CdS crystals have demonstrated the quenching effect. The second project deals with electron-beam control of the semiconductor switch. The electrons are injected through a contact into the cathode region of a semiconductor switch. Through cathodoluminescence processes it is possible to obtain bulk ionization, thereby overcoming the space-charge limitations. A switch-current/electron-beam-current ratio of more than 1500 at current densities of 60 A/cm² has been achieved so far

Keywords

electron beam applications; semiconductor switches; CdS; GaAs; bulk ionization; bulk semiconductor switches; cathodoluminescence processes; conductivity; electron-beam control; quenching effect; Conductivity; Contacts; Crystals; Electrons; Gallium arsenide; Optical control; Optical switches; Photoconductivity; Semiconductor impurities; Semiconductor lasers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Power Modulator Symposium, 1988. IEEE Conference Record of the 1988 Eighteenth

Conference_Location

Hilton Head, SC

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MODSYM.1988.26290

Filename

26290