Electrical characteristics of semiconductor bridge initiator-automobile airbag igniters

Abstract

To study the ignition characteristics of semiconductor bridges (SCB) for automobile airbag igniters, a model was proposed to compute the electrical characteristics of SCB based on the structural characteristics, resistance properties, and the working process of the bridge. Numerical simulation was conducted to analyze the voltage and current trends at two ends of bridges with various geometric dimensions and those with identical geometric dimensions and oxide layers of different thicknesses. Voltage–current curves for bridges of three different dimensions were obtained through numerical simulation. Bridges of larger geometric dimensions were found to require higher voltage to reach the melting point, which means higher energy input is required.