Patent · US Expired

Short turn-off time photoconductive switch

US6403990B1 · kind B1 · utility

6Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 2001
Grant dateJun 11, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10F30/222

Abstract

The photoconductive switch comprises a first confinement layer, a second confinement layer, a photoconductive layer that includes a doped sub-layer and an undoped sub-layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The first confinement layer is a layer of a first semiconductor material having a first band-gap energy and a first conductivity type. The second confinement layer is a layer of a second semiconductor material having a second band-gap energy. The photoconductive layer is a layer of a third semiconductor material having a third band-gap energy and a second conductivity type, opposite to the first conductivity type. The photoconductive layer is sandwiched between the first confinement layer and the second confinement layer, and the third band-gap energy is less than the first and second band-gap energies. In the photoconductive layer, the doped sub-layer is in contact with the first confinement layer, and the undoped sub-layer is adjacent the second confinement layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are separate from each other and are located on the surface of the first confinement layer remote from the photoconductive layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.