GaAs Photoconductors to Characterize Picosecond Response in GaAs Integrated Devices and Circuits

Optoelectronic techniques that use femtosecond lasers and promise the precise measurement of transient response in high-speed electronic devices and circuits have been under study for several years. We have investigated on-wafer electrical-impulse generation and sampling using femtosecond-laser-excited GaAs photoconductors. This approach is applicable to any transmission line structure, it is directly integrable, noninvasive, jitter-free, and it is applicable to both microwave and digital circuits.