High-Power Ultrafast Current Switching by a Silicon Sharpener Operating at an Electric Field Close to the Threshold of the Zener Breakdown

Lyubutin, S. K.; Rukin, S. N.; Slovikovsky, B.G.; Tsyranov, S. N.

doi:10.1109/tps.2010.2045396

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The primary assumption for obtaining (8) is that the plasma conductivity is directly proportional to an inner energy introduced in the channel [17].…”

Section: B Rompe-weitzel Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The solution of this equation with taking into account that σ 1 = σd leads to the Rompe-Weitzel formula in the form (8).…”

Section: B Rompe-weitzel Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A PROBLEM OF generation of the high-voltage pulses with a voltage risetime less than a nanosecond attracts considerable interest [1]- [8]. In most cases, the electric circuits for the production of such pulses are based on coaxial lines and high-pressure spark gaps.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-Voltage Spark Gap in a Regime of Subnanosecond Switching

Korolev

Bykov

2012

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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This paper describes an investigation of a highvoltage spark gap in the conditions of subnanosecond switching. The high-voltage pulsed generator "Sinus" is used to charge a coaxial line loaded to a high-pressure spark gap. Typical charging time for the coaxial line is in a range from 1 to 2 ns, maximum charging voltage is up to 250 kV, and a range of pressures for the gap is from 2 to 9 MPa. The theoretical models of the switching process on subnanosecond time scale are examined. A general equation for temporal behavior of the gap voltage, which is applicable for the avalanche model and the Rompe-Weitzel model has been obtained. It is revealed that the approach based on the avalanche model offers a possibility to describe the switching process only at extremely high overvoltages. The Rompe-Weitzel model demonstrates a good agreement with the experimental data both for the conditions of static breakdown and for the regime of a high overvolted gap. Comparison of experimental and calculated voltage waveforms has made it possible to estimate an empirical constant in the Rompe-Weitzel model (the price of ionization). This constant is varied from 420 to 920 eV, depending on the initial electric field in the gap.Index Terms-High-pressure spark discharge, subnanosecond discharge, subnanosecond high-voltage generators.

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“…The primary assumption for obtaining (8) is that the plasma conductivity is directly proportional to an inner energy introduced in the channel [17].…”

Section: B Rompe-weitzel Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The solution of this equation with taking into account that σ 1 = σd leads to the Rompe-Weitzel formula in the form (8).…”

Section: B Rompe-weitzel Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-Voltage Spark Gap in a Regime of Subnanosecond Switching

Korolev

Bykov

2012

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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“…This spectacular effect is known as delayed impact ionization breakdown because the switching starts when the voltage across the structure exceeds, typically twice, the stationary breakdown voltage, and hence develops later than expected . Delayed avalanche switching of Si pn junction structures allows to form kilovolt fronts with 100 ps rise time and is successfully used in pulse power electronics . Recently, it was shown that in the same way 100‐ps avalanche switching could also be achieved in Si and ZnSe bulk samples without pn junctions .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Picosecond‐Range Avalanche Switching Initiated by a Steep High‐Voltage Pulse: Si Bulk Samples Versus Layered pn Junction Structures

Brylevskiy

Podolska

Smirnova

et al. 2019

Physica Status Solidi (b)

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The study is devoted to picosecond-range avalanche switching initiated by application of a steep high-voltage ramp. It is focused on comparing layered semiconductor structures with bulk semiconductors. Experimental measurements and numerical simulations of ultrafast transients in layered Si structures with pn junctions and bulk Si samples are presented. The experimental setup allows measuring both device current and voltage during ultrafast high voltage switching transient with time resolution better than 50 ps. The focus is on the inner spatio-temporal dynamics of electron-hole plasma generation, plasma concentration, and triggering mechanism. It is shown that in contrast to layered pn junction structures bulk samples with Ohmic contacts exhibit uniform switching in the whole structure volume. This comes at the price of steeper triggering pulse and absence of pulse sharpening capability. Our findings establish pulse-triggered avalanche switching as a general method to create large (fractions of cubic mm) volumes of electron-hole plasma in semiconductors.

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“…An NLTL sharpened these pulses to a rise time of 120 ps at a PRF of 65 MHz in a burst mode operation [6]. In [7], 150-kV pulses having a 100-ps rise-time were generated by a stack of silicon sharpener diodes operating at an electric field strength close to the threshold of the zener breakdown.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Driving Conditions for Obtaining Subnanosecond High-Voltage Pulses From a Silicon-Avalanche-Shaper Diode

Merensky

Кардо-Сысоев²,

Shmilovitz

et al. 2014

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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Silicon-avalanche-shaper (SAS) diodes are fast-closing switches capable of producing high-voltage pulses with a rise time of ∼100 ps. The SAS can be driven by a positive, nanosecond scale, high-voltage pulse applied to its cathode where the magnitude of the driving pulse is correlated to the magnitude of the pulse at the SAS anode (output). Drift-step-recovery diodes (DSRDs) are fast-opening switches capable of producing high-voltage pulses with a rise time of the order of 1 ns. Thus, DSRDs are good candidates for driving SAS diodes. In this paper, the SAS output is studied with respect to its driving conditions. First, the SAS output is examined with respect to the magnitude and rise time of the driving pulse, utilizing three DSRDs to produce pulses with various rise times from 0.5 to 5 ns. In addition, the effect of the driving pulse repetition frequency (PRF) on the SAS output is studied. An experimental demonstration using a 1.5-kV SAS fabricated at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute shows the advantage of driving the SAS with the short, 0.5 ns, pulses, and the degradation of performance due to high PRF, up to 10 MHz.Index Terms-Power semiconductor diode switches, pulse generation, silicon-avalanche-shaper (SAS).

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High-Power Ultrafast Current Switching by a Silicon Sharpener Operating at an Electric Field Close to the Threshold of the Zener Breakdown

Cited by 17 publications

References 8 publications

High-Voltage Spark Gap in a Regime of Subnanosecond Switching

High-Voltage Spark Gap in a Regime of Subnanosecond Switching

Picosecond‐Range Avalanche Switching Initiated by a Steep High‐Voltage Pulse: Si Bulk Samples Versus Layered pn Junction Structures

The Driving Conditions for Obtaining Subnanosecond High-Voltage Pulses From a Silicon-Avalanche-Shaper Diode

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