Experimental analysis of current oscillations of barrier discharge by using p and n type semiconductor layers

One of the methods used to determine the stability of semiconductor materials is to investigate the behavior of these materials in variable electric field medium under different frequencies. In this thesis, the effect of p and n type semiconductor layers on the formation and development of the discharge obtained in the barrier discharge (BB) system was investigated by using planar electrode configuration with single and double barrier. The experiments were carried out in vacuum, air and nitrogen gas mediums with the applying of alternating voltage in randomly chosen frequencies such as 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 350 Hz and 500 Hz. The current oscillations of the discharges were investigated by creating voltage-current curves with the data obtained from the semiconductor barrier discharges (SBD) applications. In this study, frequency-current curves of discharge have been formed in order to investigate the frequency effect of SBD. According to the results, it was observed that the parameters such as the pressure of the medium in the electrodes and the type of gas had a significant effect on the development of the discharge. In applications where p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are used as barrier, it has been observed that semiconductor materials give more stable results in vacuum medium. While the n-type semiconductor material is more stable in vacuum medium; p-type semiconductor has become more stable in the atmospheric pressured air and nitrogen. In the applications, more stable results were obtained under low pressure, low voltage and low frequency conditions. Nitrogen gas has been shown to increase the stability of the system in general cases. Although the frequency increases in applications in vacuum, air and nitrogen gas mediums, it is observed that breakdown events occur at lower voltage values. Depending on the frequency applied to the system, the presence of a resonance point was determined in the SBD system. The calculation methods of some basic parameters of the discharge were determined from the obtained experimental diagrams.