Conformal photoconductive switch package
View Patent ↗A photoconductive switch is disclosed having a substrate, an electrode formed on the substrate, and a dielectric formed adjacent to the substrate and the electrode. The dielectric, the electrode and the substrate each have a portion cooperatively defining an interface area. The interface area of the dielectric has a doping making the interface area of the dielectric electrically conductive to suppress a charge collection at the interface area when the photoconductive switch is electrically energized through an input signal irradiating the electrode. In one embodiment the electrode may have a curvilinear or spherical shape, and the substrate may have a boundary edge surface which extends normal to the surface of the electrode, and with the dielectric having an edge surface that matches the contour of the substrate edge surface.
1. A photoconductive switch comprising:
a substrate;
an electrode formed on the substrate;
a dielectric formed adjacent to the substrate and the electrode, the dielectric, the electrode and the substrate each including a portion cooperatively defining an interface area; and
the interface area of the dielectric including a doping making the interface area of the dielectric electrically conductive to suppress a charge collection at the interface area when the photoconductive switch is electrically energized through an input signal irradiating the electrode.
2. The photoconductive switch of claim 1 , wherein the electrode forms a planar component.
3. The photoconductive switch of claim 1 , wherein only the interface area of the dielectric includes the doping.
4. The photoconductive switch of claim 3 , wherein the substrate has a width substantially similar or identical to a width of the electrode.
5. The photoconductive switch of claim 3 , wherein the electrode forms a metallized layer of material.
6. A photoconductive switch comprising:
a substrate having a conducting portion and non-conducting material portions arranged on opposing side edges of the conducting portion;
an electrode formed on the substrate;
a dielectric formed adjacent to the non-conducting material portions, the dielectric having material portions each forming an interface area with the non-conducting material portions on opposing edges of the non-conducting material portions; and
the interface area operative to suppress a charge collection at the interface area when the photoconductive switch is electrically energized through an input signal irradiating the electrode.
7. The photoconductive switch of claim 6 , wherein the non-conducting material portions each comprise a non-conducting, transparent material.
8. The photoconductive switch of claim 7 , wherein the non-conducting material portions each comprise a silicon dioxide.
9. The photoconductive switch of claim 6 , wherein the electrode forms a metallized layer of material.
10. The photoconductive switch of claim 6 , wherein the non-conducting material portions each have edges which are disposed inwardly of opposing side edges of the electrode so that a radial extent of the conducting portion of the substrate does not overlap either of the dielectric material portions.
11. A photoconductive switch comprising:
a substrate;
an electrode formed on the substrate;
the substrate having a first boundary edge surface;
a dielectric formed adjacent to the first boundary edge surface of the substrate and to the electrode, the dielectric having a second boundary edge surface conforming to the first boundary edge surface and to at least a portion of the electrode; and
and wherein an intersection of the first and second boundary edge surfaces forms a plane normal to a surface of the electrode.
12. The photoconductive switch of claim 11 , wherein the electrode comprises a spherical electrode.
13. The photoconductive switch of claim 11 , wherein the electrode comprises a non-planar shape.
14. The photoconductive switch of claim 11 , wherein the intersection of the first and second boundary edge surfaces forms a curvilinear surface.
15. A method for forming a photoconductive switch comprising:
forming a substrate;
forming an electrode on the substrate;
arranging a dielectric formed adjacent to the substrate and the electrode;
the dielectric, the electrode and the substrate each including a portion cooperatively defining an interface area; and
at the interface area of the dielectric, including a doping making the interface area of the dielectric electrically conductive to suppress a charge collection at the interface area when the photoconductive switch is electrically energized through an input signal irradiating the electrode.