High power photoconductor bulk GaAs switch

US5028971A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Anderson H. Kim · Toms River, US
• Maurice Weiner · Waretown, US
• Robert J. Youmans · Brick, US
• Robert J. Zeto · Colts Neck Township, US
• Michelle A. Dornath-Mohr · Freehold, US
• Melvin Wade · Howell, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 4, 1990
• Grant date: Jul 2, 1991
• Expiry date: Jun 4, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F99/00

Abstract

A photoconductive switch with a low threshold energy, high voltage capability and fast rise time consisting of a semiconductive substrate comprised primarily of gallium arsenide, patterned electrodes masked onto the substrate on opposite sides, a power supply and a laser that introduces laser light via fiber optic bundles to the substrate and parallel to the applied electric field.