Patent US4912531A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4912531A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Three-terminal quantum device
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1984-06-29
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Granted: 1990-03-27
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Expires: 2004-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A three-terminal quantum well device, which functions somewhat analogously to an MOS transistor. That is, the three terminals of the device can generally be considered as source, gate, and drain. An output contact is connected by tunneling to a number of parallel chains of quantum wells, each well being small enough that the energy levels in the well are quantized discretely. In each of these chains of wells, the second well is coupled to a common second conductor, and the first well is electronically coupled to a common first conductor.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark A. Reed
- 👤 Robert T. Bate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:00
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; H; H10; H10D; H10D48/00; H10D48/30; H10D48/32; H10D48/36; H10D48/362; H10D62/00; H10D62/50; H10D62/53; H10D62/80; H10D62/81; H10D62/815; H10D62/8161; H10D62/8181; H10D30/00; H10D30/01; H10D30/014; H10D62/85
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
A three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) source and gate quantum wells separated by a tunneling barrier; (b) an output drain region separated from said gate well by a tunneling barrier; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source well, said source well positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in said source well relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate well, said gate well positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in said gate well relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) said source well with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (g) said gate well with size and shape requiring the same first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source well through said gate well into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source electrodes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
A three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) source and gate quantum wells separated by a tunneling barrier; (b) an output drain region separated from said gate well by a tunneling barrier; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source well, said source well positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in said source well relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate well, said gate well positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in said gate well relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) said source well with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (g) said gate well with size and shape requiring the same first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source well through said gate well into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
The device of claim 1, wherein: (a) said source well with size and shape requiring first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (b) said gate well with size and shape requiring the same first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The device of claim 2, wherein: (a) said source well is of approximately cubic shape; and (b) said gate well is of approximately cubic shape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 1, wherein: (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-y As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As; and (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 2, wherein: (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-y As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As; and (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device of claim 3, wherein; (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-y As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As. (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 1, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 2, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 3, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 1, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 2, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 3, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
240 words
A three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) a plurality of source and gate quantum wells, each of said source wells separated from a corresponding one of said gate wells by a tunneling barrier; (b) an output drain region separated from said gate wells by tunneling barriers; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source wells, said source wells each positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in each of said source wells relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate wells, said gate wells each positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in each of said gate wells relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) each of said source wells with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (g) each of said corresponding gate wells with size and shape requiring the same first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said corresponding source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source wells through said gate wells into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source electrodes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
240 words
A three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) a plurality of source and gate quantum wells, each of said source wells separated from a corresponding one of said gate wells by a tunneling barrier; (b) an output drain region separated from said gate wells by tunneling barriers; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source wells, said source wells each positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in each of said source wells relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate wells, said gate wells each positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in each of said gate wells relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) each of said source wells with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (g) each of said corresponding gate wells with size and shape requiring the same first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said corresponding source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source wells through said gate wells into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source electrodes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
70 words
The device of claim 13, wherein: (a) said source well with size and shape requiring first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; and (b) said gate well with size and shape requiring the same first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The device of claim 14, wherein: (a) said source well is of approximately cubic shape; and (b) said gate well is of approximately cubic shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 13, wherein: (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-y As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As; and (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 14, wherein: (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-y As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As; and (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device of claim 15, wherein: (a) said source well is made of Al y Ga 1-z As; (b) said gate well is made of Al z Ga 1-z As; and (c) said tunneling barriers are made of Al x Ga 1-x As.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 13, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 14, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
11 words
The device of claim 15, wherein: (a) said carriers are electrons.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 13, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 14, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 15, wherein: (a) said source electrode is doped semiconductor material; (b) said gate electrode is doped semiconductor material; and (c) said drain electrode is doped semiconductor material;
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
222 words
A vertical three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) planar source and gate quantum wells separated by an abutting planar tunneling barrier; (b) a planar output drain region separated from said gate well by a second abutting planar tunneling barrier; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source well, said source well positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in said source well relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate well, said gate well positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in said gate well relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) said source well with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well to be quantized; and (g) said gate well with size and shape requiring said first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well to be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source well through said gate well into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source region.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
222 words
A vertical three terminal semiconductor electronic device, comprising: (a) planar source and gate quantum wells separated by an abutting planar tunneling barrier; (b) a planar output drain region separated from said gate well by a second abutting planar tunneling barrier; (c) a source electrode coupled to said source well, said source well positioned between said source electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said source electrode adjusts the energy levels in said source well relative to ground; (d) a gate electrode coupled to said gate well, said gate well positioned between said gate electrode and a ground member so that voltage applied to said gate electrode adjusts the energy levels in said gate well relative to ground; (e) a drain electrode coupled to said drain region; (f) said source well with size and shape requiring first and second momentum components of a carrier in said source well to be quantized; and (g) said gate well with size and shape requiring said first and second momentum components of a carrier in said gate well to be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well; whereby sharply resonant tunneling of carriers from said source well through said gate well into said drain region is controlled by the relative voltage between said gate and source region.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
69 words
The device of claim 25, wherein: (a) said source well with size and shape requiring first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said source well be quantized; (b) said gate well with size and shape requiring the same first, second, and third momentum components of a carrier in said gate well be substantially the same as said components of a corresponding carrier in said source well.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 26, wherein: (a) said source well is of approximately thin rectangular solid shape; and (b) said gate well is of approximately thin rectangular solid shape.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-26 | 1993-09-25 | 1994-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-26 | 1997-09-25 | 1998-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-26 | 2001-09-25 | 2002-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |