Binary superlattice tunneling device and method

Claim 1

A resonant tunneling device, comprising: (a) a planar quantum well made of a first semiconductor material; (b) first and second planar tunneling barriers planarly abutting said well, said tunneling barriers each a short-period superlattice of alternating layers of second semiconductor material and third semiconductor material with said second and third materials each a binary compound; (c) a first terminal planarly abutting said first tunneling barrier, said first terminal made of doped fourth semiconductor material; and (d) a second terminal planarly abutting said second tunneling barrier, said second terminal made of doped fifth semiconductor material; (e) wherein the bandgap of said first material is less than the effective bandgap of both of said tunneling barriers, and the bandgap of said fourth material is less than the effective bandgap of said first tunneling barrier, and the bandgap of said fifth material is less than the effective bandgap of said second tunneling barrier; (f) whereby resonant tunneling of carriers from said first terminal through a subband in said well into said second terminal is controlled by the bias applied across said terminals.