Abstract
Photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) have high-voltage hold-off (many to tens of kilovolts) and fast current rise times (<1 ns). However, lock-on, nonuniformities in the electric field, and filamentary current flow across the device when switching at high fields (∼10 kV/cm) have been reported. These observations raise concerns about the scaling of PCSS to high currents (tens of kiloamperes). To investigate these issues a two-dimensional time dependent computer model of a GaAs PCSS with Si and Cu doping has been developed. The model solves the continuity equations, the bulk energy equation, Poisson’s equation for the electric field, and a circuit equation for external currents. Physical effects in the model include band-to-band impact ionization, trap impact ionization, photoionization, and negative differential resistance. Computed characteristics of GaAs(Si:Cu) switches will be reported. Experimentally observed electric-field distributions are explained.
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