Effect of test environment on the surface breakdown characteristics of photoconducting silicon

T. Asokan; Tangali S. Sudarshan

doi:10.1117/12.59075

12 May 1992 Effect of test environment on the surface breakdown characteristics of photoconducting silicon

T. Asokan, Tangali S. Sudarshan

Proceedings Volume 1632, Optically Activated Switching II; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.59075
Event: OE/LASE '92, 1992, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

The influence of test environments (vacuum and air) on the pre-breakdown and breakdown characteristics of photoconducting p-type silicon samples were investigated. The surface of all the samples were polished (mechanical and chemo-mechanical) to a fine finish (0.06 micrometers ) and cleaned by ultrasonic and RCA methods. The role of thermally grown thin amorphous SiO₂ layer and the insulating epoxy layer on the breakdown properties were also investigated. The breakdown characteristics of the samples were found to be modified by the surface condition while testing in vacuum. Contrarily, the influence of those surface parameters on the breakdown properties of the same samples were found to be insignificant when the test environment was air. In general, the samples exhibited higher breakdown strength in air compared to that in vacuum. Besides, the lock-on behavior of the samples was identified only in vacuum (not in air) environment.

Citation Download Citation

T. Asokan and Tangali S. Sudarshan "Effect of test environment on the surface breakdown characteristics of photoconducting silicon", Proc. SPIE 1632, Optically Activated Switching II, (12 May 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.59075

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