STUDIES OF HIGH-FIELD CONDUCTION IN DIAMOND FOR ELECTRON-BEAM CONTROLLED SWITCHING

Experimental studies on a vertical metal-diamond-silicon switch structure have been conducted for potential pulsed power applications. Both the dc current-voltage characteristics and the transient switching response have been measured for a range of voltages. With a 1 mum diamond film, the switch has been seen to withstand electric fields up to 1.8 MV/cm. Our results show a polarity dependence which can be associated with current injection at the asymmetric contacts. Polarity effects were also observed in the presence of e-beam excitation, and arise due to nonuniform carrier generation near the diamond-silicon interface. Our switching transients were seen to follow the shape of the e-beam for a negative bias at the silicon substrate. For positive voltage values exceeding about 80 V however, the switch is seen to go into a persistent-photocurrent mode. This effect is a result of free carrier trapping within diamond and is enhanced by the double injection process.