Tunnel-effect semiconductor, used as an oscillator or amplifier, forms part of surface of waveguide or chamber

Claim 1

A MICROWAVE DEVICE COMPRISING: WAVEGUIDE MEANS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SIDEWALLS, SAID LOWER SIDEWALL INCLUDING A BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL ELECTRICALLY INSULATED THEREFROM, A MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID BODY FORMING PART OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID LOWER SIDEWALL, SAID BODY HAVING A FIRST REGION OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE EXTENDING TO SAID MAJOR SURFACE, SAID FIRST REGION HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CONDUCTIVITYTYPE-DETERMING IMPURITIES SUCH THAT SAID REGION IS DEGENERATIVE, SAID BODY INCLUDING AN ACTIVE ZONE OF OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE ADJACENT SAID MAJOR SURFACE AND CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST REGION, FORMING A QUANTUMMECHANICAL TUNNELING AREA AT THE P-N JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID ZONE AND SAID REGION; MEANS FOR APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL BIAS BETWEEN SAID FIRST REGION AND SAID ACTIVE ZONE; AND MEANS FOR GENERATING AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE WITHIN SAID WAVEGUIDE MEANS TO MODULATE THE EFFECTIVE CONDUCTIVITY BETWEEN SAID FIRST REGION AND SAID ACTIVE ZONE.