The potential of wide band-gap semiconductor materials in laser-induced semiconductor switches

Dane J. Phillips; Eric R. Smith; Haojun Luo; Patrick Wellenius; John F. Muth; John V. Foreman; Henry O. Everitt

doi:10.1117/12.818741

30 April 2009 The potential of wide band-gap semiconductor materials in laser-induced semiconductor switches

Dane J. Phillips, Eric R. Smith, Haojun Luo, Patrick Wellenius, John F. Muth, John V. Foreman, Henry O. Everitt

Proceedings Volume 7311, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems III: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense; 731109 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818741
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2009, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Laser induced Semiconductor Switches (LSS), comprised of a gap antenna deposited on a semiconductor substrate and photoexcited by a pulsed laser, are the primary source of THz radiation utilized in time-domain spectroscopy (TDS). THz-TDS applications such as standoff detection and imaging would greatly benefit from greater amounts of power coupled into free space radiation from these sources. The most common LSS device is based on low temperature-grown (LT) GaAs photoexcited by Ti:sapphire lasers, but its power performance is fundamentally limited by low breakdown voltage. By contrast, wide band-gap semiconductor-based LSS devices have much higher breakdown voltage and could provide higher radiant power efficiency but must be photoexcited blue or ultraviolet pulsed lasers. Here we report an experimental and theoretical study of 10 wide band-gap semiconductor LSS host materials: traditional semiconductors GaN, SiC, and ZnO, both pristine and with various dopants and alloys, including ternary and quaternary materials MgZnO and InGaZnO. The objective of this study was to identify the wide bandgap hosts with the greatest promise for LSS devices and compare their performance with LT-GaAs. From this effort three materials, Fe:GaN, MgZnO and Te:ZnO, were identified as having great potential as LSS devices because of their band-gap coincidence with frequency multiplied Ti:Sapphire lasers, increased thermal conductivity and higher breakdown voltage compared to LT-GaAs, as well as picoseconds scale recombination times.

Citation Download Citation

Dane J. Phillips, Eric R. Smith, Haojun Luo, Patrick Wellenius, John F. Muth, John V. Foreman, and Henry O. Everitt "The potential of wide band-gap semiconductor materials in laser-induced semiconductor switches", Proc. SPIE 7311, Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems III: Advanced Applications in Industry and Defense, 731109 (30 April 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818741

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KEYWORDS

Semiconductors

Semiconductor lasers

Zinc oxide

Gallium nitride

Terahertz radiation

Silicon carbide

Pulsed laser operation

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