Current aperture diode and method of fabricating the same
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorRongming Chu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diode and a method of making same has a cathode an anode and one or more semiconductor layers disposed between the cathode and the anode. A dielectric layer is disposed between at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers and at least one of the cathode or anode, the dielectric layer having one or more openings or trenches formed therein through which the at least one of said cathode or anode projects into the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers, wherein a ratio of a total surface area of the one or more openings or trenches formed in the dielectric layer at the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers to a total surface area of the dielectric layer at the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is no greater than 0.25.
Claims26
1-10. (canceled)
A method of making a diode comprising the steps of:
- forming two semiconductor layers on a substrate, the two semiconductor layers being formed of different materials, a first material of said two semiconductor layers having a relatively lower bandgap and a second material of said two semiconductor layers having a relatively higher bandgap, the semiconductor layer of said first material being formed directly on said substrate and the semiconductor layer of said second material being formed directly on the semiconductor layer of said first material;
- forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer of said second material;
- forming one or more openings or trenches penetrating the dielectric material;
- forming an anode on said dielectric layer and in said one or more openings or trenches so that material of the anode at least contacts the semiconductor layer of said second material;
- and
- forming a cathode in contact with said substrate.
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of forming one or more openings or trenches penetrating the dielectric material defines said one or more projections in a regular geometric pattern.
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of forming one or more openings or trenches penetrating the dielectric material forms a single opening or trench penetrating the dielectric material.
A method of reducing a forward biased voltage drop in a diode comprising the steps of:
- providing a layer of a dielectric material between a heterojunction formed by two layers of semiconductor materials disposed between an anode layer and a cathode layer of said diode, the heterojunction forming a two-dimensional electron gas conduction channel;
- and
- forming at least one trench or opening in said layer of dielectric material so that said anode layer contacts the two-dimensional electron gas conduction channel of said heterojunction only via said at least one tench or opening in said layer of dielectric material, the at least one tench or opening in said layer of dielectric material having a total opening size which is less than a surface area of layer of dielectric material after the said at least one tench or opening is formed therein.
27-28. (canceled)
A method of making a diode comprising the steps of:
- forming an anode;
- forming a cathode;
- disposing a dielectric layer between the anode and the cathode, the anode having one or more projections which penetrate one or more openings formed in the dielectric layer;
- forming a two-dimensional electron gas conduction channel at a heterojunction formed between said cathode and said dielectric layer, the one or more projections of the anode contacting said two-dimensional electron gas conduction channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.