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Large Area 6H- and 4H-SiC Photoconductive Switches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

S. Doğan
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA. Atatürk University, Faculty of Art & Science, Department of Physics, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.
F. Yun
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
C.B. Roberts
Affiliation:
Tech Explore, LLC, 5273 College Corner Pike #12, Oxford, OH 45056-1055, USA.
J. Parish
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7919, USA.
D. Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
R. E. Myers
Affiliation:
Electrical Engineering Dept., University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33543, USA.
M. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
S. E Saddow
Affiliation:
Electrical Engineering Dept., University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33543, USA.
B. Ganguly
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7919, USA.
H. Morkoç
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
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Abstract

Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) were fabricated in planar structures on high resistivity 4H-SiC and conductive 6H-SiC and tested at DC Bias voltages up to 1000 V. The gap spacing between the electrodes is 1 mm. The average on-state resistance and the ratio of on-state to off-state currents were about 20 Ω and 3×1011 for 4H-SiC, and 60 Ω and 6.6×103 for 6H-SiC, respectively. The typical maximum switch current at 1000 V is about 49 A for 4H-SiC. Photoconductivity pulse widths for all applied voltages were 8-10 ns. The observed performance is due in part to the removal of the surface damage by high temperature H2 etching and surface preparation. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images revealed that very good surface morphology, atomic layer flatness and large step widths were achieved with this surface treatment and these atomically smooth surfaces likely contributed to the excellent switching performance of these devices.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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