Novel high power optothyristor based on AlGaAs/GaAs for pulsed power-switching applications
Abstract
Double-side molecular beam epitaxial growth on a thick LEC-grown semi-insulating (SI) GaAs wafer has been used to demonstrate a novel high power optothyristor for pulsed power-switching applications. The optothyristor has a P(+)N-SI-PN(+) thyristor-like structure where the capital P and N stand for the wider bandgap optical window material, AlGaAs, and the SI stands for a 650 micron SI-GaAs substrate. With the 'insertion' of the SI-GaAs bulk material into the conventional P(+)NPN(+) thyristor structure and the use of wider bandgap AlGaAs, the device has achieved a record high performance compared to the existing GaAs or AlGaAs/GaAs based epitaxial thyristors. The performance of the optothyristors under forward bias has been characterized, including (1) the low field dynamic current-voltage characteristics to show post-triggering carrier injections, (2) the switched-current waveforms with varying device blocking voltage and from which the turn-on speed di/dt, and (3) the dependence of the switched-current amplitude on the laser triggering position.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
- Pub Date:
- May 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1109/16.285037
- Bibcode:
- 1994ITED...41..819Z
- Keywords:
-
- Aluminum Gallium Arsenides;
- Gallium Arsenides;
- Optical Materials;
- Semiconductor Junctions;
- Switching;
- Thyristors;
- Carrier Injection;
- Dynamic Characteristics;
- Electric Potential;
- Molecular Beam Epitaxy;
- Semiconductors (Materials);
- Substrates;
- Waveforms;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering