An Improved Ignition Device. The Reactive Semiconductor Bridge
David Fahey, Robert M. Valenti, Ian Bell
Paper Abstract: Semiconductor bridges (SCB's) have held high hope as an ignition element that would improve safety performance. Their ability to provide high no-fire performance with reduced all-fire energy at low cost has been held back by reliability problems encountered in integrating the SCB with the initiating assembly or initiator. This paper outlines the types of SCB's that exist, their performance and issues, and shows the performance of a new generation of SCB, the Reactive SCB (RSCB), that overcomes the known SCB problems and offers to provide a low cost, low energy, and most importantly reliable ignition element with increased safety. These devices are expected to be used in Automotive Safety Systems, i.e. Airbags, Pretensionsers, etc. and in the next generation of high reliability Aerospace and Defense devices including low voltage Initiators & Detonators and Precision Delays.
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