Session U13: Devices & Applications II

8:00 AM–10:36 AM, Thursday, March 24, 2005
LACC - 402B

Sponsoring Unit: FIAP
Chair: Ajul Koukar, University of Southern California

Abstract ID: BAPS.2005.MAR.U13.9

Abstract: U13.00009 : Simulation of Current Filaments in Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches

9:36 AM–9:48 AM

Preview Abstract

Authors:

  K. Kambour
  Harold P. Hjalmarson
    (Sandia National Laboratories)

  Charles W. Myles
    (Texas Tech University)

Optically-triggered, high-power photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS's) using semi-insulating GaAs are under development at Sandia. These switches carry current in high carrier-density filaments. The properties of these filaments can be explained by collective impact ionization theory in which energy redistribution by carrier-carrier scattering within the filament enhances the impact ionization. This allows these filaments to be sustained by fields which are relatively low compared to the bulk breakdown fields. For GaAs, the sustaining field is approximately 4.5 kV/cm. For this talk, a hydrodynamic implementation of the collective impact ionization theory is used to compute the properties of these filaments. These continuum calculations are based on previous calculations in which the steady-state properties of filaments are computed using a Monte Carlo method to solve the Boltzmann equation. The effects of defects will also be considered in the presentation of the results.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2005.MAR.U13.9