US 5,184,106 A · Magnetic field sensor with improved electron mobility

Abstract

A magnetic field sensor, such as a magnetoresistor, having improved electron mobility comprises a substrate of an insulating semiconductor material, such as gallium arsenide or indium phosphide, having on a surface thereof a narrow strip of a thin active film. The active film has a thin first layer of undoped or lightly doped high electron mobility semiconductor material, such as indium antimonide or indium arsenide, on the substrate surface, and a second layer of the semiconductor material, which may be thicker than the first layer, on the first layer. The second layer is at least partially doped n-type conductivity so as to have a high electron density. The second layer may be entirely of the n-type conductivity semiconductor material or a superlattice of alternating layers of n-type conductivity and intrinsic semiconductor materials or a superlattice of intrinsic semiconductor material and a ternary or quaternary alloy of the semiconductor material which is at least partially of n-type conductivity. A conductive contact is on the active film at the ends thereof. For a magnetoresistor, a plurality of conductive shorting bars are on and spaced along the strip of the active film material.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A magnetic field sensor comprising:

a substrate having a surface;
and
an active film of a high electron mobility semiconductor material on said substrate surface, said active film comprising a first layer of the said semiconductor material which is undoped or lightly doped, and a second layer of said semiconductor material at least a portion of which is of highly doped n-type conductivity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetic field sensor with improved electron mobility

Life of this patent

Magnetic field sensor with improved electron mobility

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims45