Patent EP0359508A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0359508A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Sequential-quenching resonant-tunneling transistor
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1989-09-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-09-11
Abstract
Abstract A plurality of decoupled quantum wells in a transistor device enables such device to operate with multiple-peak characteristics. The device is suitable for a variety of circuit applications in switching systems and in central processor logic units and memories; specific applications include frequency multipliers, waveform scramblers, parity-bit generators, analog-to-digital converters, and multiple-valued logic units.
Inventors
- 👤 Federico Capasso
- 👤 Alfred Yi Cho
- 👤 Susanta Sen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:41
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/13; H10D62/165; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/08; G06F11/10; G11; G11C; G11C11/00; G11C11/56; H03; H03B; H03B19/00; H03B19/06; H03B19/14; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/12; H03M1/34; H03M1/36; H03M1/368; H10D10/00; H10D10/80; H10D10/821; H10D10/881; H10D62/80; H10D62/81; H10D62/815; H10D62/82; H10D62/824; H10D84/00; H10D84/01; H10D84/0123; H10D84/0126; H10D84/0156; G11C2211/00; G11C2211/56; G11C2211/561; G11C2211/5614
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A semiconductor device comprising: an emitter region having a first conductivity type and a first composition and bandgap profile; a base region having a second conductivity type and a second composition and bandgap profile; a collector region having said first conductivity type and having a third composition and bandgap profile; first, second, and third electrical contacts to said emitter, base, and collector regions, respectively; a plurality of quantum wells between said collector region and said electrical contact to said emitter region, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT at least two of said quantum wells are separated such that there is no significant quantum-mechanical interaction between the quantum-mechanical states of said two quantum wells, and such that, during intended device operation, quenching of resonant tunneling through said quantum wells occurs at different base-emitter voltages.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
A semiconductor device comprising: an emitter region having a first conductivity type and a first composition and bandgap profile; a base region having a second conductivity type and a second composition and bandgap profile; a collector region having said first conductivity type and having a third composition and bandgap profile; first, second, and third electrical contacts to said emitter, base, and collector regions, respectively; a plurality of quantum wells between said collector region and said electrical contact to said emitter region, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT at least two of said quantum wells are separated such that there is no significant quantum-mechanical interaction between the quantum-mechanical states of said two quantum wells, and such that, during intended device operation, quenching of resonant tunneling through said quantum wells occurs at different base-emitter voltages.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device of claim 1, said two quantum wells being separated by a doped semiconductor layer having a thickness which is greater than the thermal de Broglie wavelength of the material of said layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 1, said plurality of quantum wells being between said base region and said electrical contact to said emitter region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device of claim 3, comprising, adjacent to said base region, a region having doping type opposite to the doping type of said base region, and having a bandgap which is wider than the bandgap of said base region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus comprising an electrical circuit, said circuit comprising a semiconductor device, said semiconductor device comprising: an emitter region having a first conductivity type and a first composition and bandgap profile; a base region having a second conductivity type and a second composition and bandgap profile; a collector region having said first conductivity type and having a third composition and bandgap profile; first, second, and third electrical contacts to said emitter, base, and collector regions, respectively; a plurality of quantum wells between said collector region and said electrical contact to said emitter region, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT at least two of said quantum wells are separated such that there is no significant quantum-mechanical interaction between the quantum-mechanical states of said two quantum wells, and such that, during intended device operation, quenching of resonant tunneling through said quantum wells occurs at different base-emitter voltages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
Apparatus comprising an electrical circuit, said circuit comprising a semiconductor device, said semiconductor device comprising: an emitter region having a first conductivity type and a first composition and bandgap profile; a base region having a second conductivity type and a second composition and bandgap profile; a collector region having said first conductivity type and having a third composition and bandgap profile; first, second, and third electrical contacts to said emitter, base, and collector regions, respectively; a plurality of quantum wells between said collector region and said electrical contact to said emitter region, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT at least two of said quantum wells are separated such that there is no significant quantum-mechanical interaction between the quantum-mechanical states of said two quantum wells, and such that, during intended device operation, quenching of resonant tunneling through said quantum wells occurs at different base-emitter voltages.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as a frequency-multiplication circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as a waveform scrambler circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as a parity-bit generator circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as an analog-to-digital conversion circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as a multiple-valued logical processing circuit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus of claim 5, said circuit further comprising means connected to said semiconductor device so as to enable said circuit to function as a memory unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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