Speaker
Description
James C. Dickens, Nicholas A. Wilson, Vincent Meyers, Daniel Mauch, Sergey Nikishin, Ravi Joshi, and Andreas A. Neuber
Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409 USA
Wide bandgap semiconductor photoconductive switches (PCSSs) have unique switching capabilities that push beyond any other type of switching device. In particular, PCSSs were demonstrated to switch tens of kV with picosecond response times on turn-on and turn-off as well as very low jitter. These unique capabilities make PCSSs a promising technology across a broad range of applications, including medical and industrial accelerators, high power RF generation via photonic to RF conversion, THz generation, and sub-picosecond rise-time pulse generation. While multiple technological issues have plagued PCSS switching, its limited quantum efficiency (defined here as ratio of photons to ultimately transferred charge carriers) is still its prominent weakness.
Texas Tech University has had an ongoing research program in uncovering the dominant physics and improving wide bandgap PCSSs for the past decade. Details of this very active research effort will be presented including generational switch performance, fabrication and material technology as well as device and material characterization. In addition, an introduction to PCSS device physics, wide bandgap material types and device modeling will be included as a brief primer, which will also address a brief summary of PCSS efforts from other institutes.
