US4224594A — Deep diode magnetoresistor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 403 words

A magnetoresistor comprising: a body of high carrier mobility semiconductor material having two opposed major surfaces forming respectively the top and bottom surfaces of the body, two opposed end surfaces, a first predetermined level of resistivity, a predetermined first type conductivity, a preferred crystal structure and a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the major opposed surfaces aligned ≧0° to ≦10° with a first crystal axis of the semiconductor material of the body; at least one of the opposed major surfaces having a predetermined crystal planar orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (100), (110), and (111); a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel regions formed in the body, each spaced region extending between, and terminating in, the opposed major surfaces of the body and oriented substantially perpendicular thereto and having a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis aligned parallel with the vertical axis of the body and from ≦0° to ≧10° with the first crystal axis of the body, a first type conductivity and a second predetermined level of resistivity, which is lower in magnitude than that of the first predetermined level of resistivity; each spaced region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ by the migration of a melt of a metal-rich semiconductor material of the body through the material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient aligned substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the body and having a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration; the metal is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the recrystallized material of each spaced region and the metal includes at least one dopant impurity material to impart the first predetermined type conductivity and the second predetermined level of resistivity to the recrystallized semiconductor material; an ohmic electrical contact affixed to each of the two end surfaces of the body; whereby when the body is placed in a magnetic field and an electrical current is impressed through the body between the two ohmic electrical contacts, the magnetoresistor functions as a variable electrical resistor, the magnitude of which is dependent upon the magnitude of the magnetic field acting on the body perpendicular to both the path of the electrical current and the longitudinal axis of each region.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 403 words

A magnetoresistor comprising: a body of high carrier mobility semiconductor material having two opposed major surfaces forming respectively the top and bottom surfaces of the body, two opposed end surfaces, a first predetermined level of resistivity, a predetermined first type conductivity, a preferred crystal structure and a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the major opposed surfaces aligned ≧0° to ≦10° with a first crystal axis of the semiconductor material of the body; at least one of the opposed major surfaces having a predetermined crystal planar orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (100), (110), and (111); a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel regions formed in the body, each spaced region extending between, and terminating in, the opposed major surfaces of the body and oriented substantially perpendicular thereto and having a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis aligned parallel with the vertical axis of the body and from ≦0° to ≧10° with the first crystal axis of the body, a first type conductivity and a second predetermined level of resistivity, which is lower in magnitude than that of the first predetermined level of resistivity; each spaced region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ by the migration of a melt of a metal-rich semiconductor material of the body through the material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient aligned substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the body and having a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration; the metal is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the recrystallized material of each spaced region and the metal includes at least one dopant impurity material to impart the first predetermined type conductivity and the second predetermined level of resistivity to the recrystallized semiconductor material; an ohmic electrical contact affixed to each of the two end surfaces of the body; whereby when the body is placed in a magnetic field and an electrical current is impressed through the body between the two ohmic electrical contacts, the magnetoresistor functions as a variable electrical resistor, the magnitude of which is dependent upon the magnitude of the magnetic field acting on the body perpendicular to both the path of the electrical current and the longitudinal axis of each region.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 12 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material is indium antimonide.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 2 wherein the first type conductivity is N-type, and the dopant impurity material is nickel.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

The magnetoresistor of either claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the plurality of regions is an array of columnar regions.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

The magnetoresistor of either claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein the regions are spaced planar regions extending the full width of the body parallel to the two opposed end surfaces and so oriented as to be aligned with a second crystal axis of the material of the body.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 35 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 5 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (100), the first crystal axis is <100>, and the second crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of <011> and <011>.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 5 wherein preferred planar crystal orientation is (110), the first crystal axis is <110>, and the second crystal axis is <110>.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 5 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (111), the first crystal axis is <111>, and the second crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of <011>, <101>, <110>, <112>, <211> and <121>.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 385 words

A magnetoresistor comprising: a body of high carrier mobility semiconductor material having two opposed major surfaces forming respectively the top and bottom surfaces of the body, a first predetermined level of resistivity, a predetermined first type conductivity, a preferred crystal structure and a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the major opposed surfaces aligned from ≧0° to ≦10° with a first crystal axis of the semiconductor material of the body; at least one of the opposed major surfaces having a predetermined crystal planar orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (100), (110), and (111); a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel regions formed in the body, each spaced region extending between, and terminating in, the opposed major surfaces of the body and oriented substantially perpendicular thereto, and having a longitudinal axis aligned parallel with the vertical axis of the body and from ≧0° to ≦10° with the first crystal axis of the body a longitudinal axis, a first type conductivity and a second predetermined level of resistivity which is lower in magnitude than that of the first predetermined level of resistivity; each spaced region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body through the material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient aligned substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the body and having a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration; the metal is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the material of the region, and the metal includes at least one dopant impurity material to impart the first predetermined type conductivity and second predetermined level of resistivity to the recrystallized semiconductor material, and individual ohmic electrical contacts affixed to each spaced region; whereby when the body is placed in a magnetic field and an electrical current is impressed through the body between the two ohmic electrical contacts, the magnetoresistor functions as a variable electrical resistor depending upon the magnitude of magnetic field acting on the body perpendicular to the path of the electrical current and parallel with the longitudinal axis of each region.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 385 words

A magnetoresistor comprising: a body of high carrier mobility semiconductor material having two opposed major surfaces forming respectively the top and bottom surfaces of the body, a first predetermined level of resistivity, a predetermined first type conductivity, a preferred crystal structure and a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the major opposed surfaces aligned from ≧0° to ≦10° with a first crystal axis of the semiconductor material of the body; at least one of the opposed major surfaces having a predetermined crystal planar orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (100), (110), and (111); a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel regions formed in the body, each spaced region extending between, and terminating in, the opposed major surfaces of the body and oriented substantially perpendicular thereto, and having a longitudinal axis aligned parallel with the vertical axis of the body and from ≧0° to ≦10° with the first crystal axis of the body a longitudinal axis, a first type conductivity and a second predetermined level of resistivity which is lower in magnitude than that of the first predetermined level of resistivity; each spaced region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body through the material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient aligned substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the body and having a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration; the metal is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the material of the region, and the metal includes at least one dopant impurity material to impart the first predetermined type conductivity and second predetermined level of resistivity to the recrystallized semiconductor material, and individual ohmic electrical contacts affixed to each spaced region; whereby when the body is placed in a magnetic field and an electrical current is impressed through the body between the two ohmic electrical contacts, the magnetoresistor functions as a variable electrical resistor depending upon the magnitude of magnetic field acting on the body perpendicular to the path of the electrical current and parallel with the longitudinal axis of each region.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 12 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 9 wherein the semiconductor material is indium antimonide.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 19 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 10 wherein the first type conductivity is N-type, and the dopant impurity material is nickel.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 50 words

The magnetoresistor of either claim 9, 10, or 11 wherein the plurality of regions are two spaced coaxially aligned cylindrical regions, and the electrical current is caused to flow in a lengthened logarithmic spiral path when functioning in the applied magnetic field thereby increasing the electrical resistance of the magnetoresistor.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 177 words

The magnetoresistor of either claim 9, 10, or 11 wherein the plurality of regions consists of two groups of regions, a first group of regions being spaced columnar regions, a second group of regions being a plurality of spaced planar regions aligned substantially parallel with a particular crystal axis of the material of the body and intersecting one or more other planar regions so as to form individual cells of semiconductor material of the body having one region of the first group disposed therein, each individual cell has a geometrical configuration which is one selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, a triangle and a hexagon, an ohmic electrical contact affixed to the region of the first group in the cell, an ohmic electrical contact affixed to at least one of the abutting planar regions of the second group dividing the body into the unit cells, and the electrical current is caused to flow in a lengthened spiral path when functioning in the applied magnetic field thereby increasing the electrical resistance of the magneto-resistor.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 13 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (100), the first crystal axis is <100>, and the second crystal axis is at least one selected from the group consisting of <011> and <011>.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 39 words

The magnetoresistor of claim 13 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (111), the first crystal axis is <111>, and the second crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of <011>, <101>, <110>, <112>, <211> and <121>.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1983-09-23	1984-03-24	1984-09-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1987-09-23	1988-03-24	1988-09-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1991-09-23	1992-03-24	1992-09-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Deep diode magnetoresistor

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