Semiconductor magneto-resistance element

Claim 2

A SEMICONDUCTOR MAGNETO-RESISTANCE ELEMENT COMPRISING: A SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, FIRST AND SECOND CARRIER INJECTING REGIONS OF THE OTHER CONDUCTIIY TYPE FORMED SEPARATELY IN SAID SUBSTRATE, FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES CONTACTING SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND CARRIER INJECTING REGIONS, RESPECTIVELY, A BLOCKING JUNCTION REGION OF SAID OTHER CONDUCTIVITY TYPE FORMED IN A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF SAID SUBSTRATE, AND A THIRD ELECTRODE FORMED ON AND CONTACTING SAID SUBSTRATE AND SAID BLOCKING JUNCTION REGION.

Claim 3

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element according to claim 1, further comprising a low resistivity region formed in the substrate at least in the contact portion between said third electrode and said substrate.

Claim 4

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a carrier injecting region of the other conductivity type formed in a predetermined portion of said substrate; first and second blocking junction regions of said other conductivity type formed in predetermined portions of said substrate sandwiching said carrier injecting region; a first electrode formed on and contacting said carrier injecting region; and second and third electrodes formed on and contacting said first and said second blocking junction regions and said substrate.

Claim 5

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a carrier injecting region of the other conductivity type formed in a predetermined portion of said substrate; first and second blocking junction regions of said other conductivity type formed in predetermined portions of said substrate sandwiching said carrier injecting region; a first electrode formed on and contacting said carrier injecting region; and second and third electrodes formed on and contacting said first and said second blocking junction regions and said substrate.

Claim 6

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element according to claim 3, further comprising low resistivity regions of said one conductivity type formed at least in the contact region of said second and said third electrodes with said semiconductor substrate, respectively.

Claim 7

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in said substrate for injection carriers; a first and a second electrode only, said first electrode being disposed on and contacting said carrier injecting region and said second electrode being disposed on said substrate and having a smaller ohmic contact area with said substrate than that of said first electrode with said carrier injecting region; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injection region and said substrate, thereby causing an avalanche phenomenon due to concentration of an electric field in the vicinity of said second electrode to produce a filamentary path of plasma current in said substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said plasma current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path.

Claim 8

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in said substrate for injection carriers; a first and a second electrode only, said first electrode being disposed on and contacting said carrier injecting region and said second electrode being disposed on said substrate and having a smaller ohmic contact area with said substrate than that of said first electrode with said carrier injecting region; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injection region and said substrate, thereby causing an avalanche phenomenon due to concentration of an electric field in the vicinity of said second electrode to produce a filamentary path of plasma current in said substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said plasma current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path.

Claim 9

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element according to claim 5, further comprising another region of said one conductivity type having a lower resistivity than that of said substrate and formed in the substrate at a portion between said second electrode and said substrate.

Claim 10

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in said substrate for injecting carriers; a first electrode disposed on and contacting said carrier injecting region; a blocking junction region of the other conductivity type in a predetermined portion of said semiconductor substrate; a second electrode disposed on said substrate and having a smaller contact area with said substrate than that of said first electrode with said carrier injecting region and contacting at least one portion of said substrate and said blocking junction region at said contact area thereof; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injEction region and said substrate, whereby an avalanche phenomenon is caused due to concentration of an electric field in said substrate in the vicinity of said second electrode to provide a filamentary plasma current path in said substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said plasma current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path, a depletion layer being produced when a reverse bias is applied by said voltage applying means between said blocking junction region and said substrate, said depletion layer extending from the contact area of said second electrode deeply into the substrate thereby shifting said plasma current path in a direction away from the substrate surface.

Claim 11

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in said substrate for injecting carriers; a first electrode disposed on and contacting said carrier injecting region; a blocking junction region of the other conductivity type in a predetermined portion of said semiconductor substrate; a second electrode disposed on said substrate and having a smaller contact area with said substrate than that of said first electrode with said carrier injecting region and contacting at least one portion of said substrate and said blocking junction region at said contact area thereof; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injEction region and said substrate, whereby an avalanche phenomenon is caused due to concentration of an electric field in said substrate in the vicinity of said second electrode to provide a filamentary plasma current path in said substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said plasma current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path, a depletion layer being produced when a reverse bias is applied by said voltage applying means between said blocking junction region and said substrate, said depletion layer extending from the contact area of said second electrode deeply into the substrate thereby shifting said plasma current path in a direction away from the substrate surface.

Claim 12

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element according to claim 7, further comprising a low resistivity region of said one conductivity type formed in the substrate adjacent to said blocking junction region at least in the contact portion between said second electrode and said substrate.

Claim 13

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a first carrier injecting region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in a part of said substrate; a second carrier injecting region of said one conductivity type formed in another part of said substrate; a first electrode formed on and contacting with said first carrier injecting region; a blocking junction region of the other conductivity type formed in a predetermined portion of said semiconductor substrate for altering the path for carriers injected from said carrier injecting regions; a second electrode formed on said substrate and contacting with said second carrier injecting region and said blocking injection region, said second electrode having a relatively large contact area with said substrate; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injecting regions and said substrate, thereby establishing a current path in the substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path, a depletion layer extending from the blocking region deeply into the substrate when a reverse bias is applied between the blocking region and the substrate by said voltage applying means to thereby shift the carrier path toward the depth of the substrate.

Claim 14

A semiconductor magneto-resistance element comprising: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a first carrier injecting region of the other conductivity type to that of said substrate formed in a part of said substrate; a second carrier injecting region of said one conductivity type formed in another part of said substrate; a first electrode formed on and contacting with said first carrier injecting region; a blocking junction region of the other conductivity type formed in a predetermined portion of said semiconductor substrate for altering the path for carriers injected from said carrier injecting regions; a second electrode formed on said substrate and contacting with said second carrier injecting region and said blocking injection region, said second electrode having a relatively large contact area with said substrate; and means for applying a voltage between said first and second electrodes to forwardly bias said carrier injecting regions and said substrate, thereby establishing a current path in the substrate between said first and second electrodes, the length of said current path being varied by application of a magnetic field perpendicular to said current path, a depletion layer extending from the blocking region deeply into the substrate when a reverse bias is applied between the blocking region and the substrate by said voltage applying means to thereby shift the carrier path toward the depth of the substrate.