Characteristics And Damage Mechanism Of GaAs PCSS

Photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) is a kind of semiconductor switching device controlled by light (Optically Controlled Photoconductive semiconductor switch).PCSS has the advantages of high power density (MW magnitude), fast response (ps magnitude), low trigger jitter (ps magnitude), anti-electromagnetic interference ability (good optical isolation), small size and is easy to integrate. It has been widely used in high current ignition devices, denial weapons and high-power microwave systems, precision time synchronization, THz technology, transient testing, impulse radar field, electromagnetic interference and attack systems.Researchers are studying the materials for different purposes PCSS tirelessly since the birth of PCSS, the experiments and researches for materials have never stopped.Si, as the first-generation of semiconductor material,is widely used in the production of PCSS.As the second-generation of semiconductor material,GaAs material have bigger band gap and mobility,so Si was replaced by GaAs in the studying of PCSS.SiC,which is the third-generation semiconductor material have more better semiconducting propertiesAt normal temperature,The electron mobility of GaAs material is 8500cm2/V,which is much higher than Si and SiC,and GaAs’s carrier lifetime is 0.1ns to 10ns.GaAs have been widely appreciated in the semiconductor material field, and GaAs material has wide application in the PCSS devices, and GaAs PCSS has broad application prospects in the field of high-frequency electronics.The main content of this paper is forming an ohmic electrode by heavily doped.The GaAs PCSS works well in high-frequency circuits.The electrode morphology characterization, thermal stability and adhesion of GaAs PCSS have been tested.It found that the test results meet the design requirements.On this basis, the GaAs PCSS has been improved by reducing the substrate thickness of switch,which greatly improved the conductivity of GaAs PCSS.Finally,the Process reasons of GaAs PCSS’s breakdown were been studied.The damage of GaAs PCSS is mainly caused by uneven distribution of EL2’s concentration.Changing switch production conditions can improve the distribution of EL2 energy level.And then the breakdown characteristics of switch can be improved.