Mesa-type field-effect transistors and electrical system therefor

Claim 1

A MESA-TYPE FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR COMPRISING A BODY OF A SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OF GIVEN RESISTIVITY IN A GIVEN CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, A LAYER OF THE OPPOSITE TYPE OF CONDUCTIVITY ON SAID BODY AND FORMING A JUNCTION THEREWITH, SAID LAYER HAVING A GIVEN THICKNESS AND A RESISTIVITY SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID GIVEN RESISTIVITY OF SAID BODY, A FIRST OHMIC ELECTRIDE OF THE SURFACE OF THE BODY NOT COVERED BY SAID LAYER, SECOND AND THIRD OHMIC ELECTRODES ON SAID LAYER HAVING TWO PARALLEL EDGES, THE GAP BETWEEN SAID EDGES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO SAID GIVEN THICKNESS OF SAID LAYER, FIRST MEANS FOR PRODUCING INTO SAID LAYER BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL EDGES AN ELECTRIC FIELD HAVING THE CRITICAL VALUE FOR WHICH THE MOBILE CONDUCTION CARRIERS REACH THEIR LIMITING DRIFT VELOCITY, SAID FIRST MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR APPLYING A GIVEN VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID SECOND AND THIRD OHMIC ELECTRODES AND SECOND MEANS FOR DEVELOPING THROUGH SAID JUNCTION INTO SAID LAYER A SPACE-CHARGE REGION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY INTO THE WHOLE THICKNESS OF SAID LAYER BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL EDGES, SAID SECOND MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR APPLYING A BIAS VOLTAGED TO SAID FIRST OHMIC ELECTRODE AND MEANS FOR APPLYING A SIGNAL VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND OHMIC ELECTRODES.