Charge carrier stream generating electronic device and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electronic device comprising a generator for generating a stream (125) of charge carriers. The generator comprises a bipolar transistor (100) having an emitter region (120), a collector region (160) and a base region (140) oriented between the emitter region (120) and the collector region (160), and a controller for controlling exposure of the bipolar transistor (100) to a voltage in excess of its open base breakdown voltage (BVCEO) such that the emitter region (120) generates the stream (125) of charge carriers from a first area being smaller than the emitter region surface area. The electronic device may further comprise a material (410) arranged to receive the stream of charge carriers for triggering a change in a property of said material, the emitter region (120) being arranged between the base region (140) and the material (410). In operation, the bipolar transistor (100) is subjected to a voltage in excess of its open base breakdown voltage (BVCEO) such that the emitter region (120) generates the electron stream of charge carriers, e.g. electrons, from a first area being smaller than the emitter region surface area. Consequently, an electron stream having sub-lithographic dimensions is utilized without requiring complex lithographic processing steps. The invention is particularly suitable for use in phase-change memories.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.