CURRENT INSTABILITIES IN PIEZOELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTORS.

Abstract

The report describes the discovery of 'square-wave' type current oscillations and the traveling high electric field domains in cadmium sulfide. Numerous experiments were performed to determine the behavior of the traveling domain, the oscillation conditions and important parameters. Experimental results lead to the conclusion that both current saturation and current oscillations as observed are due to amplification of the shear wave components of thermal acoustic noise. A simple linear theory which predicts the occurrence of current oscillations in piezoelectric semiconductors has been developed. The saturation of the sample current is also treated theoretically. Good agreement with experimental results is obtained with both theories. The effect of the current saturation and the oscillations on the amplification of an acoustic signal is discussed. Theory indicates that the maximum possible acoustic gain is of the order of 75-100 dB. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1967
Accession Number
AD0651003

Entities

People

  • W. H. Haydl

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Signals
  • Amplification
  • Compound Semiconductors
  • Electric Fields
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Oscillation
  • Piezoelectric Semiconductors
  • Saturation
  • Secondary Waves
  • Semiconductors
  • Silicon Carbide
  • Square Waves
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics