EP0256360A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Gated tunnel diode
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1987-07-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-07-24
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor device comprising a p⁺ region (2) and an n⁺ region (3) forming a p⁺/n⁺ homojunction in a semiconductor layer (2, 3) formed between a semiconductor substrate (1) and a cap semiconductor layer (4) both of a wider band gap material than that of the semiconductor layer (2, 3). The p⁺ region (2) and the n⁺ region (3) are respectively provided with contact regions (6, 5), and a gate electrode (7) is formed on the cap layer (4). A tunneling current can flow between a two-dimensional electron gas (10) and a two-dimensional hole gas (11) induced at the heterojunction boundaries of the double heterojunction structure owing to an electric field applied to the semiconductor layer (2, 3). A buffer layer (71) of wide band gap semiconductor material can be further provided between the semiconductor substrate (1) and the semiconductor layer (2, 3) for reducing the leakage currents.
Inventors
- 👤 Takao Hitachi Koganei-Ryo Kuroda
- 👤 Akiyoshi Hitachi Shobu-Ryo Watanabe
- 👤 Takao Miyazaki
- 👤 Hiroyoshi Matsumura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 12:51
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/40; H10D30/47; H10D30/471; H10D30/473; H10D30/4732; H10D12/00; H10D12/211; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/17; H10D62/213
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a first semiconductor layer (1,31,41,51,71 ), a second semiconductor layer (4, 34, 44, 54, 74) and a third semiconductor layer (2, 3; 32, 33; 42, 43; 52, 53; 72, 73) which is formed between said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer, and a band gap of which is narrower than that of said first semiconductor layer and that of said second semiconductor layer, so that band discontinuities in conduction bands and valence bands of said three layers form a barrier to said third semiconductor layer, and that a tunneling current is permitted to flow between a boundary of said first semiconductor layer and said third semiconductor layer and a boundary of said second semiconductor layer and said third semiconductor layer by an internal electric field of said third semiconductor layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a first semiconductor layer (1,31,41,51,71 ), a second semiconductor layer (4, 34, 44, 54, 74) and a third semiconductor layer (2, 3; 32, 33; 42, 43; 52, 53; 72, 73) which is formed between said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer, and a band gap of which is narrower than that of said first semiconductor layer and that of said second semiconductor layer, so that band discontinuities in conduction bands and valence bands of said three layers form a barrier to said third semiconductor layer, and that a tunneling current is permitted to flow between a boundary of said first semiconductor layer and said third semiconductor layer and a boundary of said second semiconductor layer and said third semiconductor layer by an internal electric field of said third semiconductor layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal electric field of said third semiconductor layer is produced from a p+/n+ junction which is defined within said third semiconductor layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal electric field of said third semiconductor layer is produced by impurities of conductivity types opposite to each other with which said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer are respectively doped.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor layer (31) is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of GaAs, said second semiconductor layer (34) is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of Al x Ga 1-x As, and said third semiconductor layer (32, 33) is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of Ge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor layer (1, 41, 51) is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of InP, said second semiconductor layer (4, 44, 54) is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of In 0.52 Al 0 .48 As, and said third semiconductor layer (42, 43; 52, 53)is made of a semiconductor material principally composed of In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
130 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a first semiconductor layer as a substrate (1, 31, 41, 51, 71), a second semiconductor layer (4, 34, 44, 54, 74), a third semiconductor layer (2, 3; 32, 33; 42, 43; 52, 53; 72, 73) which is formed between said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer in a manner to be held in a heterojunction, and a band gap of which is narrower than that of each of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer, a plurality of contact regions (5, 6; 55, 56; 75, 76) which are respectively formed in said third semiconductor layer, and a plurality of electrodes (7 - 9; 57 - 59; 77 - 79) which are respectively formed on said second semiconductor layer and said contact regions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
130 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a first semiconductor layer as a substrate (1, 31, 41, 51, 71), a second semiconductor layer (4, 34, 44, 54, 74), a third semiconductor layer (2, 3; 32, 33; 42, 43; 52, 53; 72, 73) which is formed between said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer in a manner to be held in a heterojunction, and a band gap of which is narrower than that of each of said first semiconductor layer and said second semiconductor layer, a plurality of contact regions (5, 6; 55, 56; 75, 76) which are respectively formed in said third semiconductor layer, and a plurality of electrodes (7 - 9; 57 - 59; 77 - 79) which are respectively formed on said second semiconductor layer and said contact regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said third semiconductor layer (2, 3; 32, 33; 42, 43; 52, 53; 72, 73) has a p⁺/n⁺ junction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the contact regions are formed by diffusion or ion implantation.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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