Negative resistance device modulator

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A SEMICONDUCTIVE DEVICE COMPRISING A SEMICONDUCTIVE WAFER INCLUDING A FIRST ZONE OF ONE CONDUCTIVELY TYPE, A NEARLY DEGENERATE SECOND ZONE OF THE OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST ZONE FOR FORMING A FIRST P-N JUNCTION, AND A DEGENERATE THIRD ZONE OF SAID ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID SECOND ZONE FOR FORMING A SECOND P-N JUNCTION, SAID SECOND JUNCTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY NARROW FOR QUANTUM-MECHANICAL TUNNELING TO OCCUR, THE FIRST AND SECOND ZONES BEING OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER AND SPACED APART A DISTANCE WHICH IS LESS THAN SEVERAL MEAN FREE PATHS OF THE CHARGE CARRIERS PREDOMINANT IN THE SECOND ZONE, AND SEPARATE ELECTRODES CONNECTED TO THE THREE SEPARATE ZONES, AND VOLTAGE SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES TO THE FIRST AND SECOND ZONES FOR BIASING THE FIRST JUNCTION IN REVERSE BEYOND THE ONSET OF AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN, AND VOLTAGE SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SECOND AND THIRD ZONE FOR BIASING THE SECOND JUNCTION IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION TO THE POINT OF NEGATIVE RESISTANCE.