The Laser Flares-Modulated Delay Jitter Characteristics of GaAs PCSS Under High DC Bias

The delay jitter characteristics of gallium arsenide photoconductive semiconductor switch (GaAs PCSS) in avalanche mode triggered by different laser flares were investigated. The experimental results show that the delay jitter time of GaAs PCSS decreases first and then increases when the length of the laser flare extends. As a result, the photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) device triggered by the laser flare with 6 mm length exhibits the shortest delay and jitter time. Moreover, the mechanism of laser flare-modulated jitter time was investigated by a 2-D device simulation. The increased flare length changes the initial electric field and concentration of charge carriers in the nonilluminated region. The improved electric field and carrier concentration effectively promote the formation and evolution of avalanche ionization domains, which results in the shorter delay time and lower jitter time.