Superconductized semiconductor device using penetrating Cooper pairs

Claim 2

A superconductized semiconductor device comprising: first and second electrodes; a first superconductor layer coupled to the first electrode; and a semiconductor region disposed between the first superconductor layer and the second electrode, including two or more semiconductor layers with at least one junction therewith, said two or more semiconductor layers having carrier concentrations selected such that Cooper pairs which occur in the first superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of a superconductor in the semiconductor, which is not normally a superconductor.

Claim 3

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor region comprises two semiconductor layers with a pn junction between the semiconductor layers.

Claim 4

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor region comprises first, second and third semiconductor layers disposed in series with two heterojunctions between the first and second semiconductor layers and between the second and third semiconductor layers.

Claim 5

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises three semiconductor films with a quantum well structure.

Claim 6

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor region comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers with a multi-quantum well structure.

Claim 7

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor region comprises three semiconductor layers with a pin junction structure.

Claim 8

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second superconductor layer disposed between the semiconductor region and the second electrode wherein Cooper pairs which occur in the second superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region can be a superconductor by using the proximity effect of a superconductor.

Claim 9

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a second buffer layer disposed between the semiconductor region and the second superconductor layer.

Claim 10

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the second buffer layer comprises a plurality of metal layers.

Claim 11

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the second superconductor layer is formed with an oxide superconductor.

Claim 12

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the semiconductor layer in contact with the second superconductor layer is formed with a degenerate semiconductor.

Claim 13

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a first buffer layer disposed between the semiconductor region and the first superconductor layer.

Claim 14

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first buffer layer comprises a plurality of metal layers.

Claim 15

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first superconductor layer is formed with an oxide superconductor.

Claim 16

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer in contact with the first superconductor layer is formed with a degenerate semiconductor.

Claim 17

A superconductized semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor region including a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer disposed on the second semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer disposed on the third semiconductor layer and a fifth semiconductor layer disposed on the fourth semiconductor layer, each of the first, third and fifth semiconductor layers having a doping level higher than that of the second and fourth semiconductor layers; a first superconductor layer disposed on the fifth semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region; a first electrode coupled to the first superconductor layer; a second electrode coupled to the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region; and a third electrode coupled to the third semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region, wherein said first, third, and fifth semiconductor layers have carrier concentrations selected such that Cooper pairs which occur in the first superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of the superconductor in the semiconductor region, which normally has no superconduction characteristics.

Claim 18

A superconductized semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor region including a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer disposed on the second semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer disposed on the third semiconductor layer and a fifth semiconductor layer disposed on the fourth semiconductor layer, each of the first, third and fifth semiconductor layers having a doping level higher than that of the second and fourth semiconductor layers; a first superconductor layer disposed on the fifth semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region; a first electrode coupled to the first superconductor layer; a second electrode coupled to the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region; and a third electrode coupled to the third semiconductor layer of the semiconductor region, wherein said first, third, and fifth semiconductor layers have carrier concentrations selected such that Cooper pairs which occur in the first superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of the superconductor in the semiconductor region, which normally has no superconduction characteristics.

Claim 19

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 16, further comprising a second superconductor layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second electrode, wherein Cooper pairs which occur in the second superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of a superconductor.

Claim 20

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising a third superconductor layer disposed between the third semiconductor layer and the third electrode, wherein Cooper pairs which occur in the third superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of a superconductor.

Claim 21

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising a second buffer layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second superconductor layer.

Claim 22

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the second buffer layer comprises a plurality of metal layers.

Claim 23

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 16, further comprising a third superconductor layer disposed between the third semiconductor layer and the third electrode, wherein Cooper pairs which occur in the third superconductor layer are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the proximity effect of a superconductor.

Claim 24

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 16, further comprising a first buffer layer disposed between the fifth semiconductor layer and the first superconductor layer.

Claim 25

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the first buffer layer comprises a plurality of metal layers.

Claim 26

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the first, third and fifth semiconductor layers are made of the same conductivity type of semiconductor material and each of the second and fourth semiconductor layers has a wide band gap compared with the first, third and fifth semiconductor layers.

Claim 27

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the first and fifth semiconductor layers are made of a first conductivity type of semiconductor material, and the third semiconductor layer is made of a second conductivity type of semiconductor material.

Claim 28

A superconductized semiconductor device comprising: a first superconductor layer coupled to a first electrode; a second superconductor layer coupled to a second electrode; and a semiconductor region disposed between the first and second superconductor layers, including two or more semiconductor layers with at least one junction therewith, said two or more semiconductor layers having carrier concentrations selected such that Cooper pairs which occur in the first and second superconductor layers are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the superconductor proximity effect in the semiconductor region, which does not normally have superconduction characteristics.

Claim 29

A superconductized semiconductor device comprising: a first superconductor layer coupled to a first electrode; a second superconductor layer coupled to a second electrode; and a semiconductor region disposed between the first and second superconductor layers, including two or more semiconductor layers with at least one junction therewith, said two or more semiconductor layers having carrier concentrations selected such that Cooper pairs which occur in the first and second superconductor layers are supplied to the semiconductor region as if the semiconductor region is a superconductor by using the superconductor proximity effect in the semiconductor region, which does not normally have superconduction characteristics.

Claim 30

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein the semiconductor region comprises two semiconductor layers with a pn junction between the semiconductor layers.

Claim 31

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein the semiconductor region comprises first, second and third semiconductor layers disposed in series with two heterojunctions between the first and second semiconductor layers and between the second and third semiconductor layers.

Claim 32

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises three semiconductor layers with a quantum well structure.

Claim 33

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein the semiconductor region comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers with a multi-quantum well structure.

Claim 34

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein the semiconductor region comprises three semiconductor layers with a pin junction structure.

Claim 35

The superconductized semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein the semiconductor layers in contact with the first and second superconductor layers are formed with degenerate semiconductors.

Claim 36

A semiconductor device comprising: a) a superconducting layer having Cooper pairs therein; and b) a normally-nonsuperconducting semiconductor region adjacent to the superconducting layer and having carrier concentrations selected such that said Cooper pairs penetrate into said semiconductor region thus making the semiconductor region superconductive by using the proximity effect of a superconductor in the semiconductor.

Claim 37

A semiconductor device comprising: a) a superconducting layer having Cooper pairs therein; and b) a normally-nonsuperconducting semiconductor region adjacent to the superconducting layer and having carrier concentrations selected such that said Cooper pairs penetrate into said semiconductor region thus making the semiconductor region superconductive by using the proximity effect of a superconductor in the semiconductor.

Claim 38

The device according to claim 33, wherein said superconducting layer further comprises: a) a superconductor having Cooper pairs therein; and b) a metal layer between the superconductor and the semiconductor and having a predetermined thickness.

Claim 39

The device according to claim 34, wherein the metal layer further comprises a buffer metal layer in contact with the superconductor and a refractory metal layer in contact with the buffer metal layer and the normally-nonsuperconducting semiconductor region.

Claim 42

The method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of: c) isolating the superconducting layer from the normally-nonsuperconducting semiconductor layer with a metal layer; and d) determining the thickness of the metal layer so that Cooper pairs penetrate into the normally-nonsuperconducting semiconductor layer.