Sol-gel process for the manufacture of high power switches

US9455366B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC · US

Inventors

• Richard L. Landingham · Livermore, US
• Joe H. Satcher, Jr. · Patterson, US
• Robert A. Reibold · Salida, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2013
• Grant date: Sep 27, 2016
• Expiry date: May 8, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F77/1226

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a photoconductive semiconductor switch includes a structure of nanopowder of a high band gap material, where the nanopowder is optically transparent, and where the nanopowder has a physical characteristic of formation from a sol-gel process. According to another embodiment, a method includes mixing a sol-gel precursor compound, a hydroxy benzene and an aldehyde in a solvent thereby creating a mixture, causing the mixture to gel thereby forming a wet gel, drying the wet gel to form a nanopowder, and applying a thermal treatment to form a SiC nanopowder.