Picosecond-Range Avalanche Switching of Bulk Semiconductors Triggered by Steep High-Voltage Pulses

Brylevskiy, V. I.; Smirnova, I.A.; Podolska, N. I.; Zharova, Yu. A.; Rodin, Pavel; Grekhov, I. V.

doi:10.1109/tps.2018.2875423

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Among various p + nn + and n + nn + structures that has been recently studied, here, we restrict our analysis to one Si p + nn + diode structure and one n + nn + structure with doping profiles shown in Figure . The p + nn + structure belongs to a category of well‐known avalanche sharpeners that are used in pulse power electronics .…”

Section: Experimental Setup and Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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 . In contrast to previously studied diode p + nn + structures these bulk samples with large‐area plane Ohmic contacts have no voltage blocking capability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Experimental Setup and Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…Недавно было экспериментально установлено [8][9][10], что сверхбыстрое лавинное переключение, инициированное быстронарастающим высоковольтным импульсом, также возможно и в полупроводниковых n + −n−n + -структурах. В таких структурах отсутствует переход, и соответственно они не обладают способностью блокировать стационарное напряжение.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…−n−n + -cтруктуре общей толщиной 100−200 мкм перед переключением достигает 2−3 кВ [8][9][10]. Такое напряжение отвечает средней напряженности электрического поля, близкой к эффективному порогу ударной ионизации в кремнии и составляющей 200 кВ/см.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Такое напряжение отвечает средней напряженности электрического поля, близкой к эффективному порогу ударной ионизации в кремнии и составляющей 200 кВ/см. Измеренное характерное время переключения структуры составляет 150 пс [8][9][10]. Помимо кремниевых структур, успешное переключение в проводящее состояние экспериментально наблюдалось также для структур на основе ZnSe, которые представляли собой объемные образцы с омическими контактами большой площади [8].…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

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Численное моделирование субнаносекундного лавинного переключения кремниевых n-=SUP=-+-=/SUP=--n-n-=SUP=-+-=/SUP=--структур

Подольская¹,

Родин²

2019

Физика И Техника Полупроводников

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The simulations of recently discovered effect of subnanosecond avalanche switching of Si n ^+− n − n ^+-structures have been performed. The electric field in n ^+− n − n ^+-structure is shown to remain quasi-uniform along the current flow direction during the voltage rise stage and it reaches the effective threshold of impact ionization of ~200 kV/cm in the whole n-base. Comparing simulation results with experiments we argue that the field distribution is as well uniform in the transverse direction. Hense, the ultrafast avalanche transient develops quasi-uniformly in the whole n-base volume. The switching time is about ~150 ps. We compare numerical results obtained for various impact ionization models and estimate parameters of the initial voltage pulse that are required for ultrafast avalanche switching of n ^+− n − n ^+-structures.

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Spatiotemporal modes of fast avalanche switching of high-voltage layered semiconductor structures: From subnano to picosecond range

Rodin

Иванов

2020

Journal of Applied Physics

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The effect of delayed impact ionization breakdown initiated in high-voltage Si or GaAs p+nn+ diode by a steep voltage ramp leads to 100 ps avalanche transient from blocking to conducting state. Here, we demonstrate that qualitatively different inner mechanisms—or spatiotemporal modes—can be responsible for superfast high-voltage avalanche switching. The well-known mechanism based on TRApped Plasma Avalanche Triggered Transit (TRAPATT)-like ionizing front passage is compared with three novel spatiotemporal switching scenarios. The first of these novel modes corresponds to a new type of ionizing front travelling across the structure faster than the saturated drift velocity. Another corresponds to the quasiuniform avalanche breakdown of the whole n base. The last one—the “back-stroke” mode—takes place when switching occurs only in the part of the device cross section. For these novel modes, the calculated switching time (tens of picoseconds) is several times smaller than for well-known TRAPATT-like front (∼100 ps). We analyze all four spatiotemporal modes in their connection with the device structural parameters. By means of numerical simulations, we demonstrate that varying only one parameter of a p+nn+ structure—the n base dopant concentration—it is possible to completely change the inner dynamics. Our analysis reveals that subnanosecond—100 ps or less—switching time may be determined either by the ionizing front passage time or by the internal “discharge” time of the device via generated electron–hole plasma.

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Picosecond-Range Avalanche Switching of Bulk Semiconductors Triggered by Steep High-Voltage Pulses

Cited by 7 publications

References 25 publications

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

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

Численное моделирование субнаносекундного лавинного переключения кремниевых n-=SUP=-+-=/SUP=--n-n-=SUP=-+-=/SUP=--структур

Spatiotemporal modes of fast avalanche switching of high-voltage layered semiconductor structures: From subnano to picosecond range

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