Patent US4823004A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4823004A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tunnel and field effect carrier ballistics
Assignee: California Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1987-11-24
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Granted: 1989-04-18
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Expires: 2007-11-24
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus for interacting carriers with a structure of matter employ an electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of that structure, and cause such carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside that structure by providing along the mentioned distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting carriers emitted by the mentioned electrode and that process ballistically into the structure through the gap and the mentioned surface. The carriers are collected or analyzed after their travel along ballistic trajectories in the structure of matter. Pertinent information on the inside of the structure is obtained by conducting inside that structure what conventionally would have been considered external ballistics, while performing the carrier-propelling internal ballistics conversely outside that structure.
Inventors
- 👤 William J. Kaiser
- 👤 L. Douglas Bell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:16
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01Q; G01Q60/00; G01Q60/10; G01Q60/16; G01Q60/14; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y35/00; H; H01; H01J; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/06; H01J2237/063; H01J2237/06325; H01J2237/06341; H01J2237/26; H01J2237/28; H01J2237/2818; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/852
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing said structure as a layered structure including an interface therein; providing an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said layered structure; causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said layered structure by providing along said distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said layered structure through said gap and said surface; and analyzing with said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories interface properties in said layered structure including said interfaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing said structure as a layered structure including an interface therein; providing an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said layered structure; causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said layered structure by providing along said distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said layered structure through said gap and said surface; and analyzing with said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories interface properties in said layered structure including said interfaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said interface in said structure for analysis of interface properties.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing a collector electrode as an electrode of said structure of matter; and collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said trajectories with said collector electrode for analysis of the collected carriers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: providing a vacuum in said gap.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: providing said gap with an inert atmosphere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing an electrode in said structure; collecting said carriers after ballistic projection with said electrode in said structure; and analyzing said carriers collected with said electrode in said structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 6, including the step of: scanning said structure with said emitter electrode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing a collector electrode at said structure; providing a bias electrode in said structure; electrically biasing said bias electrode; collecting said carriers with said collector electrode after ballistic projection through said structure; and analyzing said carriers collected after ballistic projection through said structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
107 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing said emitter electrode as a first electrode at said distance from said surface as a first surface of said structure; performing said process with said first electrode and with a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by said gap; locating a third electrode at a second surface of said sheet opposite said first surface; ballistically projecting said carriers with said first and second electrodes and said gap through said structure to said third electrode; collecting said ballistically projected carriers with said third electrode; and analyzing said ballistically projected carriers collected with said third electrode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
103 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing said emitter electrode as a first electrode at said distance from said surface; providing said layered structure with a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by said gap requisite for said process; providing said layered structure with a third electrode spaced from said second electrode so that said trajectories extend between said second and third electrodes; ballistically injecting said carriers with said first and second electrode through said gap into said structure for travel along said trajectories; and collecting said ballistically injected electrodes from said trajectories with said third electrode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, including the step of: scanning said structure with said first electrode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, including the step of: covering said second electrode with an electric insulator penetrable by said carriers in said gap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: shifting said ballistic injection of carriers along said surface to provide successively different ballistic trajectories for said injected carriers in different regions of said structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: employing said carriers traveling along said ballistic trajectories for Schottky barrier investigations inside said structure.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of: providing a multielectrode semiconductor device as said structure; providing said gap for performance of said process between said electrode for emitting said carriers and one electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for injecting said carriers ballistically into said semiconductor device; and collecting said ballistically injected carriers after travel along ballistic trajectories in said semiconductor device with another electrode of said multielectrodes semiconductor device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: scanning said structure with said electrode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 16, including the step of: deriving topographical information about said structure with the said of said carriers during said scanning.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 17, including the step of: deriving information about an internal quality of said structure with the aid of said carriers ballistically injected into and collected from said structure during scanning.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of: deriving information about internal irregularities in said structure with the aid of said carriers ballistically injected into said structure during said scanning.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
156 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing said structure with a base electrode and with a collector electrode spaced from said base electrode; providing an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure by providing along said distance a gap for performance of process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface; scanning said structure with said electrode; collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said structure; and deriving information about an internal quality of said structure with the said of said carriers ballistically injected into said structure by combining and plotting signals from said base and collector electrodes during said scanning.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
156 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing said structure with a base electrode and with a collector electrode spaced from said base electrode; providing an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure by providing along said distance a gap for performance of process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission and injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface; scanning said structure with said electrode; collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said structure; and deriving information about an internal quality of said structure with the said of said carriers ballistically injected into said structure by combining and plotting signals from said base and collector electrodes during said scanning.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
125 words
In apparatus for interacting carriers with a layered structure including an interface therein, the improvement comprising in combination: an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said layered structure; means for causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said layered structure, including means for providing along said distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission, and means for injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface; and means for analyzing interface properties in said layered structure, including means for collecting said carriers after travel along said ballistic trajectories from said interface in said structure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
125 words
In apparatus for interacting carriers with a layered structure including an interface therein, the improvement comprising in combination: an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said layered structure; means for causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said layered structure, including means for providing along said distance a gap for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission, and means for injecting said carriers emitted by said emitter electrode with said process ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface; and means for analyzing interface properties in said layered structure, including means for collecting said carriers after travel along said ballistic trajectories from said interface in said structure.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said means for collecting said carriers include a semiconductor for collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said structure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said collecting means include a collector electrode for said structure of matter.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, including; means for providing a vacuum in said gap.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, including: means for providing said gap with an inert atmosphere.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said injecting means including means for ballistically projecting said carriers through said structure; and said means for collecting said carriers include means for collecting said carriers after ballistic projection through said structure.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, including: means for scanning said structure with said electrode.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said injecting means including means for ballistically projecting said carriers through said layered structure; and said means for collecting said carriers include a collector electrode at said layered structure for collecting said carriers after ballistic projection through said layered structure.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said means for causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectors include means for performing said process with said emitter electrode as a first electrode at a first distance from a first surface of said layered structure, and a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by said gap; said collecting means include a third electrode at a second surface of said layered structure opposite said first surface for collecting said ballistically projected carriers; and said injecting means includes means for ballistically projecting said carriers with said first and second electrodes and said gap through said layered structure to said third electrode.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
124 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said means for causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories include means for performing said process with said emitter electrode as a first electrode at said distance from said surface and with a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by said gap requisite for said process; said collecting means include a third electrode spaced from said second electrode so that said trajectories extend between said second and third electrodes for collection of said ballistically injected electrodes from said trajectories with said third electrode; and said injecting means include means for ballistically injecting said carriers with said first and second electrodes through said gap into said structure for travel along said trajectories to said third electrode.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 30, including: means for scanning said structure with said first electrode.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, including: means for shifting said ballistic injection of carriers along said surface to provide successively different ballistic trajectories for said injected carriers in different regions of said structure.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein: said collecting means include means for enabling investigations inside said structure with said carriers traveling along said ballistic trajectories.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, for operation with a multielectrode semiconductor device as said structure, wherein: said gap for performance of said process exists between said emitter electrode for emitting said carriers and one electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for injecting said carriers ballistically into said semiconductor device; and said collecting means include means for collecting said ballistically injected carriers after travel along ballistic trajectories in said semiconductor device with another electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, including: means for scanning said structure with said electrode.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, including: means connected to said collecting means for deriving topographical information about said structure with the aid of said carriers during said scanning.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 36, including: means connected to said collecting means for deriving information about an internal quality of said structure with the aid of said carriers ballistically injected into said structure during scanning.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, including: means connected to said collecting means for deriving information about an internal quality of said structure with the aid of said carriers ballistically injected into said structure during said scanning.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein: said structure has a base electrode and a collector electrode spaced from said base electrode for collecting said ballistically injected carriers from said structure; and said apparatus includes means connected to said collecting means for deriving information about an internal quality of said structure by combining and plotting signals from said base and collector electrodes during said scanning.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, including a the steps of: providing said layered structure as a superlattice structure including said interface therein; and employing said carriers traveling along said ballistic trajectories to study band line-ups in said superlattice structure.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
148 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing a first electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; providing said structure with a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by a gap requisite for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure; providing said structure with a third electrode spaced from said second electrode so that said trajectories extend between said second and third electrodes; ballistically injecting said carriers with said first and second electrodes through said gap into said structure for travel along said trajectories; collecting said ballistically injected electrodes from said trajectories with said third electrode, and analyzing said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories in said structure.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
148 words
In a method of interacting carriers with a structure of matter, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of: providing a first electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; providing said structure with a second electrode spaced from said first electrode by a gap requisite for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission causing said carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure; providing said structure with a third electrode spaced from said second electrode so that said trajectories extend between said second and third electrodes; ballistically injecting said carriers with said first and second electrodes through said gap into said structure for travel along said trajectories; collecting said ballistically injected electrodes from said trajectories with said third electrode, and analyzing said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories in said structure.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, including the step of: scanning said structure with said first electrode.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, including the step of: covering said second electrode with an electric insulator penetrable by said carriers in said gap.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, including the steps of: shifting said ballistic injection of carriers along said surface to provide successively different ballistic trajectories for said injected carriers in different regions of said structure.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, including the step of: employing said carriers traveling along said ballistic trajectories for investigations inside said structure.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, including the steps of: providing a multielectrode semiconductor device as said structure including said second and third electrodes; providing said gap for performance of said process between said first electrode for emitting said carriers and said second electrode in said multielectrode semiconductor device for injecting said carriers ballistically into said semiconductor device; and collecting said ballistically injected carriers after travel along ballistic trajectories in said semiconductor device with said third electrode in said multielectrode semiconductor device.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
123 words
In apparatus for interacting carriers with a multielectrode semiconductor device, the improvement comprising in combination: an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; means for causing said emitter electrode to inject said carriers ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface and for causing injected carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure, including means for providing along said distance gap between said emitter electrode and one electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission; and means including another electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for collecting said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories in said structure.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
123 words
In apparatus for interacting carriers with a multielectrode semiconductor device, the improvement comprising in combination: an emitter electrode for emitting said carriers at a distance from a surface of said structure; means for causing said emitter electrode to inject said carriers ballistically into said structure through said gap and said surface and for causing injected carriers to travel along ballistic trajectories inside said structure, including means for providing along said distance gap between said emitter electrode and one electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for performance of a process selected from the group of carrier tunneling and field emission; and means including another electrode of said multielectrode semiconductor device for collecting said carriers after said travel along said ballistic trajectories in said structure.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 47, including: means for scanning said structure with said emitter electrode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4618767A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-04-17 | 1992-10-17 | 1993-04-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-04-17 | 1996-10-17 | 1997-04-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-04-17 | 2000-10-17 | 2001-04-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |