SBIR/STTR Research Award
Ultra-wide bandwidth high-power solid state photoconductive power switch technology
Award amount
$99,971Program and phase
SBIR · Phase IAward year
2002Award details
- Awarding agency
- Department of Defense
- Branch
- Air Force
- Recipient company
- PHOTRONIX
- Proposal award date
- Not reported
- Contract end date
- Not reported
- UEI
- Not reported
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- Not reported
Research abstract
In many military applications, such as radar drive circuits, directed energy weapons, and other high peak-power electrical systems the availability of a compact and reliable wide bandwidth, high-voltage, high-power photoconductive switch can become anenabling technology. HBTs based on wide bandgap materials have been shown to have superior properties to silicon BJTs. Much of the improvement is due to the high base doping achievable through the use of wide-gap emitters, as well as superior properties ofthe materials used such as higher mobility in the base (for n-p-n devices), and higher drift velocities for the collector space charge region. Because of its superior material and electrical properties, silicon carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) isexpected to enable vastly improved high-power switching devices with substantial benefits to a wide variety of military and commercial systems. With Viatronix's ability to create useful devices on current material, we believe that there are numerouscommercial and military markets for this technology.
Technology keywords
Not reported