Picosecond-Range Avalanche Switching of Bulk Semiconductors Triggered by Steep High-Voltage Pulses

Experimental observation and numerical simulations of sub-nanosecond avalanche switching of Si and ZnSe bulk semiconductor structures initiated by high-voltage pulses with steep (dU / dt > 10 kV/ns) ramp are reported. The measured switching time is ~100ps. The switching is sustainable and repetitive and has negligible jitter. Comparison of the experimental and numerical results suggests that after switching, the whole volume of the structure is uniformly filled with nonequilibrium electron-hole plasma.