Study Of Microwave Breakdown Effect Mechanism On PIN Limiter Diode

In the front-end of a radar system, PIN limiter, in addition to the gas discharge T/R tube, is the only device to protect the back sensitive device from leakage power itself and adjacent high-power injection. Understand and master PIN limiter damage mechanism and laws under the HPM electromagnetic environment is important for the development of the microwave front-end HPM protection technology.This thesis mainly carried out HPM breakdown effect mechanism theoretical and experimental study of single-stage PIN limiter. Through Sentaurus produced by Synopsys, a semiconductor physical process and device simulation software, establish a PIN diode limiter dimensional TCAD model and select the appropriate physical optimization model to conduct HPM effects simulation. Firstly, complete the device forward, reverse DC characteristics and microwave input and output characteristics of simulation; Secondly, the author build a injection effect experimental system and carry out a single-stage PIN limiter injection experiments, further optimize of device model parameters by comparative analysis the injecting experimental data and simulation results; Finally, the paper undertaken PIN limiter transient response simulation under the EMP pulse and microwave pulse besides comparative analysis of data. By observing the current density, electric field and temperature distribution under the EMP pulse and microwave pulse, sum up the microwave breakdown damage effect mechanism of the PIN diode.Under EMP pulse, PIN diodes internal electric field gradually expand to I and avalanche breakdown occurs in the PN junction edge portion with pulse reverse bias voltage increases; Negative resistance effect caused by space charge effects lead to generate current filament while the device temperature rises. On the other hand,Avalanche ionization rate was negatively correlated with temperature which results in moving of current filament; In the process of the movement, the current filament shape and the internal maximum electric field substantially unchanged and both positions overlap, But the maximum temperature and the current filament has positional delayed and rendered increasingly smaller trend; When the device temperature reaches 1000 K,the current filament movement does not happen until the device is localized thermal secondary breakdown.Under the high-power microwave pulses, when just in reverse bias similar to EMP pulse, current density concentration phenomenon occurs in the PN junction edges,indicating that the device has the local avalanche breakdown; In reverse cycle, the field appears double peaks which can lead to double junction avalanche breakdown, causing the device unstable; The temperature distribution will change with the electric field distribution varies; In different periods and just in reverse bias conditions, the current density began to expand the I layer but the maximum current density is essentially the same with time increases; Observed that temperature distribution centralized on both sides of the I-layer and the PN junction edge and spots of temperature concentration appear in the local avalanche breakdown place, which common cause devic localized thermal secondary breakdown.