Fabrication and Design Issues of Bulk Photoconductive Switches Used for Ultra-Wideband, High-Power Microwave Generation

Abstract

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL), in collaboration with the Air Force Phillips Laboratory, has been developing the fabrication process for lateral topology, highpower photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) used in phased-array, ultra-wideband (UWB) sources. This work presents issues associated with the development of these switches. First-generation devices (1.0 cm gap spacing) have been shown to achieve sub-nanosecond risetimes, working hold-off voltages of 50 kV, switched currents of 333 A into a 75 omega load, and lifetimes in excess of 2 x 1000000 shots at 10 HZ Later-generation devices (0.25 gap spacing) operate at 20 kV and 1 kHz, with improved risetimes, jitter characteristics, and trigger requirements.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA638213

Entities

People

  • A. Balekdjian
  • J. Conrad
  • J. S. Schoenberg
  • J. S. Tyo
  • J. W. Burger
  • M. C. Skipper
  • M. D. Abdalla
  • S. M. Ahern
  • W. R. Buchwald

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Arrays
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Electron Holes
  • Energy
  • Fabrication
  • Geometry
  • High Power Microwaves
  • Laser Diodes
  • Materials
  • Metals
  • Microwaves
  • Military Research
  • Phased Arrays
  • Pulse Transformers
  • Radiation
  • Topology

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster