Semiconductor device including a tunnel effect element

Claim 2

A semiconductor device comprising; a semiconductor substrate having an element region on a main surface thereof; an element isolation region formed to surround said element region on said main surface of said semiconductor substrate; and a gate electrode formed over said element region with a gate insulating film disposed therebetween; a first and a second impurity diffusion region formed on a surface of said element region along both sides of at least part of said gate electrode, wherein said device has an operation such that a first channel region is formed in said surface of said element region below said gate electrode between said first and said second impurity diffusion region when a first preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, a first tunnel diode is formed in a first interface region between said first impurity diffusion region and said first channel region when said first preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode; and any portion of said first interface region in which said first tunnel diode is formed is located in position separated from said element isolation region.

Claim 3

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said gate electrode is formed to surround said first impurity region, any portion of said interface region between said first impurity diffusion region and said first channel region, in which said first tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, and said interface region surrounds said first impurity diffusion region.

Claim 4

A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said at least part of said gate electrode disposed between said first and said second impurity diffusion region is formed to substantially cross said element region.

Claim 5

A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said second impurity diffusion region is formed to surround said gate electrode.

Claim 6

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said first impurity diffusion region is formed to surround said gate electrode, said gate electrode is formed to surround said second impurity diffusion region, and said interface region in which said first tunnel diode is formed is located in position separated from said element isolation region to surround said gate electrode.

Claim 7

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device has an operation such that a negative resistance characteristic appears in said interface region formed in position separated from said element isolation region when a preset potential difference is applied between said first and said second impurity diffusion region and said first preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode.

Claim 8

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second impurity diffusion region has a different conductivity type to each other.

Claim 9

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second impurity diffusion region has a same conductivity type.

Claim 10

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion made of semiconductor is formed on said element region integrally therewith, said first impurity diffusion region is formed on an upper surface portion of said convex potion, said gate electrode is insulatively formed over a side surface of said convex portion, and said second impurity diffusion region is formed on a region of said surface of said element region which surrounds said gate electrode.

Claim 11

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion made of semiconductor is formed on said element region integrally therewith, said second impurity diffusion region is formed on an upper surface portion of said convex portion, said gate electrode is insulatively formed over a side surface of said convex portion, and said first impurity diffusion region is formed on a region of said surface of said element region which surrounds said gate electrode.

Claim 12

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor substrate has a base substrate, an insulating layer formed on said base substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on said insulating layer, said element isolation region and said first and said second impurity diffusion region is formed on a surface area of said semiconductor layer, and said gate electrode is insulatively formed over said semiconductor layer.

Claim 13

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an impurity concentration of said interface region in which said first tunnel diode is formed is set in a range of 10 19 cm -3 to 10 22 cm -3 .

Claim 14

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said device has an operation such that a second channel region is formed in said surface of said element region which lies below said gate electrode between said first and said second impurity diffusion region when a second preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, a second tunnel diode is formed in a second interface region between second impurity diffusion region and said second channel region when said second preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode; and said second interface region in which said second tunnel diode is formed is located in position separated from said element isolation region.

Claim 15

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said any portion of said first interface region, in which said first tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, in order to suppress an increase of a leakage current of said first tunnel diode.

Claim 16

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said first channel region formed when said first preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode is an inversion region.

Claim 17

A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an intrinsic semiconductor region is inserted between said first impurity region and said element isolation region at least at a portion adjacent to said gate electrode in which said first tunnel diode is formed.

Claim 18

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having an element region on a main surface thereof; an element isolation region formed to surround said element region on said main surface of said semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode having a plurality of openings and formed over said element region with a gate insulating film disposed therebetween; and a plurality of impurity diffusion regions formed on those portions of said semiconductor substrate which are in said plurality of openings, each of said plurality of diffusion regions having an impurity concentration in a range of 10 9 cm -3 to 10 22 cm -3 , wherein said device has an operation such that a channel region is formed in said main surface of said semiconductor substrate between at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions among said plurality of impurity diffusion regions when a preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between one impurity diffusion region of said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions and said channel region when said preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, and any portion of said interface region in which said tunnel diode is formed is located in position separated from said element isolation region.

Claim 19

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having an element region on a main surface thereof; an element isolation region formed to surround said element region on said main surface of said semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode having a plurality of openings and formed over said element region with a gate insulating film disposed therebetween; and a plurality of impurity diffusion regions formed on those portions of said semiconductor substrate which are in said plurality of openings, each of said plurality of diffusion regions having an impurity concentration in a range of 10 9 cm -3 to 10 22 cm -3 , wherein said device has an operation such that a channel region is formed in said main surface of said semiconductor substrate between at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions among said plurality of impurity diffusion regions when a preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between one impurity diffusion region of said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions and said channel region when said preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode, and any portion of said interface region in which said tunnel diode is formed is located in position separated from said element isolation region.

Claim 20

A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein said any portion of said first interface region, in which said first tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, in order to suppress an increase of a leakage current of said tunnel diode.

Claim 21

A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein said device has further an operation such that a tunnel is formed between said channel region and one region of said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions when said preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode and a preset potential difference is applied between said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions.

Claim 22

A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of impurity diffusion regions include another pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions different from said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions and said another pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions has a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of said semiconductor substrate and construct a MOS transistor in cooperation with said gate electrode.

Claim 23

A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of impurity diffusion regions include another pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions different from said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions and said another pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions has the same conductivity type as that of said semiconductor substrate and permit a resistor to be formed between two regions of said another pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions.

Claim 24

A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein said semiconductor device has an operation such that said at least one pair of adjacent impurity diffusion regions include two pairs of adjacent impurity diffusion regions, in each of which a tunnel diode having a PN junction is formed between said channel region and one of said adjacent impurity diffusion regions when a present voltage is applied to said gate electrode and said present potential difference is applied between two regions of said adjacent impurity diffusion regions, and said two pairs of adjacent impurity diffusion regions are connected to each other, in such a manner that one of said impurity diffusion regions included in one of said two pairs of adjacent impurity diffusion regions is connected to one of said impurity diffusion regions included in the other of said two pairs of adjacent impurity diffusion regions, so as to form serially connected tunnel diodes with a PNPN arrangement.

Claim 25

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a major surface; an inter-level insulating film formed on said main surface of said semiconductor substrate; a rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer formed to extend on said inter-level insulating film; a gate insulating film formed to surround a peripheral portion of a central portion of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer in a lengthwise direction; a gate electrode formed to surround said peripheral portion of said central portion of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer in said lengthwise direction with said gate insulating film disposed therebetween and formed to enter part of said gate insulating film; a first and a second impurity diffusion region formed on portions of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer which lie on both sides of said gate electrode and formed to extend into under said gate electrode; and an element isolation region formed to surround said gate electrode and said first and said second impurity diffusion region, wherein said device has an operation such that a channel region is formed in a surface area of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer which lies under said gate electrode between said first and said second impurity diffusion region when a present voltage is applied to said gate electrode, and a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between said channel region and one of said first and said second impurity diffusion region under said gate electrode and a preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode and a preset potential difference is applied between said first and said second impurity diffusion region.

Claim 26

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a major surface; an inter-level insulating film formed on said main surface of said semiconductor substrate; a rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer formed to extend on said inter-level insulating film; a gate insulating film formed to surround a peripheral portion of a central portion of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer in a lengthwise direction; a gate electrode formed to surround said peripheral portion of said central portion of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer in said lengthwise direction with said gate insulating film disposed therebetween and formed to enter part of said gate insulating film; a first and a second impurity diffusion region formed on portions of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer which lie on both sides of said gate electrode and formed to extend into under said gate electrode; and an element isolation region formed to surround said gate electrode and said first and said second impurity diffusion region, wherein said device has an operation such that a channel region is formed in a surface area of said rectangular parallelepiped semiconductor layer which lies under said gate electrode between said first and said second impurity diffusion region when a present voltage is applied to said gate electrode, and a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between said channel region and one of said first and said second impurity diffusion region under said gate electrode and a preset voltage is applied to said gate electrode and a preset potential difference is applied between said first and said second impurity diffusion region.

Claim 27

A semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein an impurity concentration of said interface region in which said tunnel diode is formed is set in a range of 10 19 cm -3 to 10 22 cm -3 .

Claim 28

A semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein any portion of said interface region, in which said tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, in order to suppress an increase of a leakage current of said tunnel diode.

Claim 29

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substate; a first surface tunnel effect element formed in an element region surrounded by an element isolation region on said semiconductor substrate, said first surface tunnel effect element including a source region connected to a first voltage source and selectively formed on a surface of said semiconductor substrate, a drain region of high impurity concentration selectively formed on said surface of said semiconductor substrate in position different from said source region, and a first gate electrode formed over a portion of said surface of said semiconductor substrate which lies between said source region and said drain region and insulated from said semiconductor substrate, said first surface tunnel effect element having an operation such that a channel region of high carrier density is formed in said portion of said surface of said substrate between said drain region and said source region when a preset voltage is applied to said first gate electrode, and a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between said channel region and one of said drain region and said source region when said preset voltage is applied to said first gate electrode; and a load connected at one end thereof to said drain region of said first surface tunnel effect element and connected at the other end to a second voltage source; wherein said device has an operation such that said first tunnel effect element and said load constitute a memory unit, a gate voltage of low level is applied to said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element in a storage signal holding period, and a gate voltage of high level is applied to said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element at a time of storage signal reading, and wherein any portion of said interface region, in which said tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, in order to suppress an increase of a leakage current of said tunnel diode.

Claim 30

A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substate; a first surface tunnel effect element formed in an element region surrounded by an element isolation region on said semiconductor substrate, said first surface tunnel effect element including a source region connected to a first voltage source and selectively formed on a surface of said semiconductor substrate, a drain region of high impurity concentration selectively formed on said surface of said semiconductor substrate in position different from said source region, and a first gate electrode formed over a portion of said surface of said semiconductor substrate which lies between said source region and said drain region and insulated from said semiconductor substrate, said first surface tunnel effect element having an operation such that a channel region of high carrier density is formed in said portion of said surface of said substrate between said drain region and said source region when a preset voltage is applied to said first gate electrode, and a tunnel diode is formed in an interface region between said channel region and one of said drain region and said source region when said preset voltage is applied to said first gate electrode; and a load connected at one end thereof to said drain region of said first surface tunnel effect element and connected at the other end to a second voltage source; wherein said device has an operation such that said first tunnel effect element and said load constitute a memory unit, a gate voltage of low level is applied to said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element in a storage signal holding period, and a gate voltage of high level is applied to said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element at a time of storage signal reading, and wherein any portion of said interface region, in which said tunnel diode is formed, is located in position separated from said element isolation region, in order to suppress an increase of a leakage current of said tunnel diode.

Claim 31

A semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein said load is one selected from a group consisting of a second surface tunnel effect element, a MOS transistor, a tunnel diode, a resonant tunnel effect element and a resistive element.

Claim 32

A semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein said load is one of a second surface tunnel effect element and a MOS transistor, which has a second gate electrode, and a gate terminal to which said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element and said second gate electrode are connected is provided.

Claim 33

A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein a refresh circuit for outputting a preset pulse signal in a preset cycle is connected to said gate terminal.

Claim 34

A semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein said load is one of a second surface tunnel effect element and a MOS transistor, which has a second gate electrode, and said semiconductor device has an operation such that a fixed gate voltage is applied to one of said first gate electrode of said first surface tunnel effect element and said second gate electrode, and a gate voltage which varies until a stable operation voltage thereof is obtained is applied to the other of said first gate electrode and said second gate electrode.