← Back to Patent Explorer
US5011785A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Insulator assisted self-aligned gate junction

Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
•
Filing: 1990-10-30
•
Granted: 1991-04-30
•
Expires: 2010-10-30
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A high transconductance, low capacitance, low leakage compound semiconduc junction field effect transistor (JFET) enhances the low leakage current while having the advantages of a self-aligned JFET including low capacitance and low source-drain resistance. The diffused junction of the JFET is totally covered during the process of manufacture. An n channel on a substrate has a layer of photoresist placed over it and exposed to leave a predefined pattern of photoresist. The patterned photoresist is used as a mask so that part of the n-channel layer is etched down to a desired depth leaving a wedge-shaped region. A layer of insulator, such as silicon dioxide, is deposited over the entire substrate and sides of the w edge-shaped region in insulator regions. Next, the photoresist is then removed. A p + diffusion or implant is performed in the wedge-shaped region to create a p + n-junction system which is the gate region of the JFET. The p + n junction system sides are covered the insulator regions of silicon dioxide unlike the opened-junction of the conventional self-aligned gate JFET. Next, the gate patterned metal is deposited on top of the p + n junction system and partially on the silicon dioxide insulator regions. Using the patterned gate metal as a mask, the silicon dioxide layer is removed. Source and drain metals are then self-aligned evaporated. The JFET has potential use in microwave, millimeter-wave and optical electronic circuits.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard Nguyen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 06:35
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/01; H10D30/051; H10D30/0512; H10D30/015; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/17; H10D62/343; H10D64/00; H10D64/20; H10D64/27; H10D64/311; H10D64/411; H10D62/80; H10D62/85; H10D62/852; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/978

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 232 words
An improved process for fabricating a junction field effect transistor having a high transconductance, low capacitance and low leakage comprising: providing a semi-insulating substrate having an n channel thereon; placing a photoresist layer in a predetermine pattern on said n channel to function as a mask; etching away of the masked n channel layer to a desired depth to define a wedge-shaped n region extending thereabove; depositing a layer of insulator over the entire substrate including insulator regions of the deposited insulator that completely abut the sides of said wedge-shaped region; removing the photoresist layer, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said wedge-shaped region; creating a p + n junction system by p + diffusion in said wedge-shaped n region which is the gate region of the JFET, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said p+n junction system to distinguish from the open-junction of the conventional self-aligned gate JFET; depositing a gate patterned metal layer on top of the wedge-shaped p + n junction system area which partially extends over said insulator regions of said deposited insulator; removing said deposited insulator down to said n channel with the exception of said insulator regions; and evaporating source and drain metal electrodes on said n channel layer and gate metal electrodes on said wedge-shaped p + n junction system area to create a self-aligned gate JFET without an opened-junction region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 232 words
An improved process for fabricating a junction field effect transistor having a high transconductance, low capacitance and low leakage comprising: providing a semi-insulating substrate having an n channel thereon; placing a photoresist layer in a predetermine pattern on said n channel to function as a mask; etching away of the masked n channel layer to a desired depth to define a wedge-shaped n region extending thereabove; depositing a layer of insulator over the entire substrate including insulator regions of the deposited insulator that completely abut the sides of said wedge-shaped region; removing the photoresist layer, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said wedge-shaped region; creating a p + n junction system by p + diffusion in said wedge-shaped n region which is the gate region of the JFET, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said p+n junction system to distinguish from the open-junction of the conventional self-aligned gate JFET; depositing a gate patterned metal layer on top of the wedge-shaped p + n junction system area which partially extends over said insulator regions of said deposited insulator; removing said deposited insulator down to said n channel with the exception of said insulator regions; and evaporating source and drain metal electrodes on said n channel layer and gate metal electrodes on said wedge-shaped p + n junction system area to create a self-aligned gate JFET without an opened-junction region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 232 words
An improved process for fabricating a junction field effect transistor having a high transconductance, low capacitance and low leakage comprising: providing a semi-insulating substrate having an n channel thereon; placing a photoresist layer in a predetermine pattern on said n channel to function as a mask; etching away of the masked n channel layer to a desired depth to define a wedge-shaped n region extending thereabove; depositing a layer of insulator over the entire substrate including insulator regions of the deposited insulator that completely abut the sides of said wedge-shaped region; removing the photoresist layer, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said wedge-shaped region; creating a p + n junction system by p + implanting in said wedge-shaped n region which is the gate region of the JFET, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said p+n junction system to distinguish from the open-junction of the conventional self-aligned gate JFET; depositing a gate patterned metal layer on top of the wedge-shaped p + n junction system area which partially extends over said insulator regions of said deposited insulator; removing said deposited insulator down to said n channel with the exception of said insulator regions; and evaporating source and drain metal electrodes on said n channel layer and gate metal electrodes on said wedge-shaped p + n junction system area to create a self-aligned gate JFET without an opened-junction region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 232 words
An improved process for fabricating a junction field effect transistor having a high transconductance, low capacitance and low leakage comprising: providing a semi-insulating substrate having an n channel thereon; placing a photoresist layer in a predetermine pattern on said n channel to function as a mask; etching away of the masked n channel layer to a desired depth to define a wedge-shaped n region extending thereabove; depositing a layer of insulator over the entire substrate including insulator regions of the deposited insulator that completely abut the sides of said wedge-shaped region; removing the photoresist layer, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said wedge-shaped region; creating a p + n junction system by p + implanting in said wedge-shaped n region which is the gate region of the JFET, said insulator regions entirely covering the sides of said p+n junction system to distinguish from the open-junction of the conventional self-aligned gate JFET; depositing a gate patterned metal layer on top of the wedge-shaped p + n junction system area which partially extends over said insulator regions of said deposited insulator; removing said deposited insulator down to said n channel with the exception of said insulator regions; and evaporating source and drain metal electrodes on said n channel layer and gate metal electrodes on said wedge-shaped p + n junction system area to create a self-aligned gate JFET without an opened-junction region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
An improved process according to claim 1 or 2 in which said n channel is InP.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
An improved process according to claim 1 or 2 in which said deposited insulator is silicon dioxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
An improved process according to claim 3 in which said deposited insulator is silicon dioxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
An improved process according to claim 1 or 2 in which said n channel is InGaAs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
An improved process according to claim 1 or 2 in which said wedge-shaped region is InP.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
An improved process according to claim 6 in which said wedge-shaped region is InP.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
An improved process according to claim 1 or 2 in which said deposited insulator is silicon dioxide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
An improved process according to claim 6 in which said deposited insulator is silicon dioxide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 15 words
An improved process according to claim 7 in which said deposited insulator is silicon dioxide.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-04-29 1994-10-29 1995-04-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-04-29 1998-10-29 1999-04-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-04-29 2002-10-29 2003-04-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag