Fast ionization dynistor (FID)-a new semiconductor superpower closing switch

The fastest known semiconductor electrically triggering power closing switches have turn-on times about tens of nanoseconds at /spl sim/1 kV blocking voltage and hundreds of amperes switching current. Any attempts to increase the device voltage lead to the increase of the device thickness and turn-on times. These limitations may be overpassed using the effect of delayed ionization. This effect has been used to develop new power superfast devices-fast ionization dynistors (FID). Like thyristors they have two steady states: nonconducting and high-conducting. The fast (about 1 ns) transition from nonconducting state to high-conducting state is induced by application of short (nanoseconds) high voltage pulse to the blocking p-n junction of multilayer n-p-n-p semiconductor structure. Due to the regenerative feedback, FID may remain in the high-conducting state infinitely.