Patent · US Expired

Material systems for semiconductor tunnel-junction structures

US6765238B2 · kind B2 · utility

32Cited by
7References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 2002
Grant dateJul 20, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 12, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S257/918
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The tunnel junction structure comprises a p-type tunnel junction layer of a first semiconductor material, an n-type tunnel junction layer of a second semiconductor material and a tunnel junction between the tunnel junction layers. At least one of the semiconductor materials includes gallium (Ga), arsenic (As) and either nitrogen (N) or antimony (Sb). The probability of tunneling is significantly increased, and the voltage drop across the tunnel junction is consequently decreased, by forming the tunnel junction structure of materials having a reduced difference between the valence band energy of the material of the p-type tunnel junction layer and the conduction band energy of the n-type tunnel junction layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.