Resonant-tunneling functional device using multiple negative differential resistances
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorYuji Ando
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is described a functional device constructed with a semi-insulating substrate, a channel layer of a conductive compound semiconductor formed on the semi-insulating substrate, a channel electrode coupled to a first area of the channel layer, a gate electrode coupled to a second area of the channel layer, first and second resonant tunneling diodes formed on third and fourth areas of the channel layer intervening the second area, a source electrode formed on the first resonant tunneling diode, and a drain electrode formed on the second resonant tunneling diode. The functional device may be applied to many function circuits such as a bistable multi-vibrator or memory cell, and a frequency multiplier with addition of a few circuit elements or wirings.
Claims11
A functional device comprising:
- a substrate having a channel layer of conductive semiconductor material formed at a surface of said substrate;
- a gate electrode means formed on a first area of said channel layer for controlling conductivity of said channel layer in accordance with a gate voltage applied to said gate electrode;
- a source region formed in contact with a second area of said channel layer on one side of said first area;
- a drain region formed in contact with a third area of said channel layer on an opposite side of said first area to said second area;
- a source electrode formed on said source region, said source region having a resonant tunneling barrier therein to form a first resonant tunneling diode together with said second area of said channel layer and said source electrode;
- a drain electrode formed on said drain region, said drain region having another resonant tunneling barrier therein to form a second resonant tunneling diode together with said third area of said channel layer and said drain electrode;
- and
- a channel electrode formed on a fourth area of said channel layer.
A bistable multi-vibrator comprising:
- a functional device including a channel layer having a channel electrode, a gate electrode formed on said channel layer to control conductivity of said channel layer, a source electrode, a first resonant tunneling diode interposed between said source electrode and said channel layer, a drain electrode and a second resonant tunneling diode interposed between said drain electrode and said channel layer;
- an input terminal coupled to said gate electrode;
- a power terminal coupled to said drain electrode;
- a reference potential terminal coupled to said source electrode;
- an output terminal coupled to said channel electrode;
- and
- a load impedance coupled between said channel electrode and said reference potential terminal.
A frequency multiplier comprising:
- a functional device including a channel layer having a channel electrode, a gate electrode formed on said channel layer to control conductivity of said channel layer, a source electrode, a first resonant tunneling diode interposed between said source electrode and said channel layer, a drain electrode and a second resonant tunneling diode interposed between said drain electrode and said channel layer;
- an input terminal coupled to said drain electrode to receive an input signal of a first frequency;
- an output terminal coupled to said source electrode to derive an output signal having a second frequency which is a multiple times of said first frequency;
- a reference potential terminal;
- and
- a load impedance coupled between said source electrode and said reference terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.