Detector and mixer diode operative at zero bias voltage

Claim 1

A diode structure operative at zero volts DC bias to provide both efficient detection in diode detector applications and to provide effective harmonic suppression in anti-parallel mixer diode applications, comprising: a. a single substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer of a predetermined thickness and impurity concentration and substantially depleted of a majority carriers, b. a critical thin layer of one conductivity type disposed on one surface of said intrinsic layer and being sufficiently thin and of an impurity concentration level sufficient so that it is fully depleted of majority carriers at zero volts DC bias, said intrinsic layer being disposed on only one surface of said critical thin layer, c. a layer of opposite conductivity type semiconductor material disposed on the surface of said critical thin layer and of a thickness sufficient to shield metal impurities from said critical thin layer, d. a first ohmic contact on said layer of opposite conductivity type semiconductor material, and e. a second ohmic contact in electrical contact with said intrinsic layer, whereby the potential barrier height of said structure, Φ B , when multiplied by the charge on an electron, -q, is established at a minimum value somewhere between zero electron volts and the bandgap energy of the semiconductor material of said layers.