New generation of drift step recovery diodes (DSRD) for subnanosecond switching and high repetition rate operation

Abstract

The paper describes the features of construction and production technology of new silicon DSRD-generation for operation in high frequency circuits (10/sup 3/-10/sup 7/ Hz) with subnanosecond switching time (0.1-0.5 ns) and very low jitter (/spl sim/10 ps). The main purpose of this work is to scale physical phenomena in traditional thick DSRD-structures (plasma pumping and removing) to the scope of much shorter times and smaller sizes. This scaling is not a task easily to be solved both physically and technologically. As the sizes of DSRD decrease the balance between the zones of field and diffusion processes that influence charge carriers transport in DSRD-structure is strongly changed and, as a result, this situation significantly affects the device switching. Besides, when it is necessary to make a conversion of specific device layer thickness from hundreds micrometers to dozens or even less both design and technology of DSRD manufacturing should be changed. All these aspects of new DSRD-generation development and investigation are discussed in the paper on an example of three silicon DSRD-family with 500 V*500 ps, 200 V*200 ps and 100 V*100 ps rating of blocking voltage and switching time. The prospects of new semiconductor materials (GaAs and SiC) for superfast DSRD fabrication are also presented.