Breakdown Behavior of GaAs PCSS with a Backside-Light-Triggered Coplanar Electrode Structure

The competitive relationship between the surface flashover of the coplanar electrodes and the body current channel was investigated. Breakdown behavior of GaAs photo-conductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) with a backside-light-receiving coplanar electrode structure was studied in this paper. GaAs PCSS was triggered by the laser pulse with an extrinsic absorption wavelength of 1064 nm. Special insulating construction was designed for GaAs PCSS, while the surface of the electrodes was encapsulated with transparent insulating adhesive. Our first set of experiments was at a bias voltage of 8 kV, and the surface flashover breakdown of GaAs PCSS was observed with 10 Hz triggering laser pulse. In the second experiment, at a bias voltage of 6 kV, the body current channel breakdown appeared on the backside of the GaAs PCSS. Compared with these results, the existence of a competitive relationship between the surface flashover breakdown and the body current channel breakdown of the GaAs PCSS was confirmed. When the bias voltage is set within a certain range (just reaching avalanche mode), GaAs PCSS with a backside-light-receiving coplanar electrode structure will undergo the body current channel breakdown. This finding is also consistent with the simulation results.

Automated summary

This study explored the breakdown behavior of GaAs photo-conductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) with a backside-light-receiving coplanar electrode structure. A competitive relationship between the surface flashover breakdown and the body current channel breakdown of GaAs PCSS was confirmed. Under certain bias voltages, different breakdown phenomena were observed, consistent with simulation results.