Electron-wave coupled semiconductor switching device

US5148242A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US

Inventors

• Noriaki Tsukaka · Stuttgart, DE
• Klaus Ploog · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 22, 1991
• Grant date: Sep 15, 1992
• Expiry date: Jan 22, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D30/00

Abstract

An electron-wave coupled semiconductor device, in particular a semiconductor switching device, comprises a first layer of semiconducting material having a first bandgap, and a second layer of material formed on said first semiconducting layer and having a second bandgap greater than the first said bandgap. First and second electron waveguides are formed alongside but spaced apart from each other in the first semiconductor layer adjacent the boundary between this layer and said second layer. A gate region extends over said second layer transverse to and over said electron waveguides. First contact means provides input connections to said first and second electron waveguides on one side of said gate region and further contact means provides separate output connections from said first and second electron waveguides on the opposite side of the gate region from said first contact means. The dimension of the electron waveguides under said gate region, both along and transverse to said electron waveguides, and also the dimension between said electron waveguides are smaller than the elastic mean free path for electrons at the operating temperature of the device. A signal applied to the gat…