Real-space charge-transfer device and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181523-A1
Application number	US-201414573891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A real-space charge-transfer device is disclosed. In particular, a Gunn diode is disclosed having a conductive structure fabricated overlying its active region. A secondary signal, other than the normal Gunn diode signal, is generated by the Gunn diode based upon a characteristic of the overlying conductive structure. For example, when the conductive structure is a grate having N teeth the secondary signal will have N secondary oscillation cycles that occur during the duration of a single normal Gunn diode oscillation cycle.

First claim

1 . A device comprising:
a real-space charge-transfer device comprising a first anode/cathode terminal spaced apart by a first instance from a second anode/cathode terminal; a semiconductor region coupled to the first and second anode/cathode, wherein current is to flow between the first anode/cathode terminal and the second anode/cathode terminal through the semiconductor region; and a conductive structure overlying the semiconductor region, the conductive structure being spaced apart from the semiconductor region by less than 2500 Angstroms and having a conductivity that is greater than the conductivity of the semiconductor region; and a filter comprising an input coupled to the second anode/cathode terminal, and an output, the filter configured to selectively pass a frequency component provided by the real-space charge-transfer device during operation that is based upon a characteristic of the conductive structure.

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the entire length of the semiconductor region is n-doped.

5 . (canceled)

6 . (canceled)

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive structure comprises a number of repetitive features, and the characteristic of the conductive structure is the number of features.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive structure comprises a first conductive tooth overlying a portion of the semiconductor region, a length of the conductive tooth being less than a length of the real-space charge-transfer device, and the characteristic of the conductive structure includes the length of the conductive tooth.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the conductive structure further comprises a grate comprising a plurality of conductive teeth that includes the first conductive tooth, and the characteristic of the conductive structure further comprises the number of teeth of the grate.

10 .- 21 . (canceled)

22 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of repetitive features is a two-dimensional array of the features.

23 .- 25 . (canceled)

26 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive structure is a passive conductive structure.

27 . A method of generating a signal comprising:
applying a voltage across a semiconductor region of a real-space charge-transfer device; generating, in response to the voltage, a normal real-space charge-transfer signal at the semiconductor region, the normal real-space charge-transfer signal having a first fundamental frequency; and generating, in response to the voltage, a secondary signal at the compound semiconductor region concurrently with the normal real-space charge-transfer signal, the secondary signal having a second fundamental frequency that is greater than the first fundamental frequency; receiving the normal real-space charge-transfer signal and the secondary signal at a filter; filtering the input signal to produce an application signal that oscillates at a frequency associated with the secondary signal.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the application signal includes the second fundamental frequency of the secondary signal.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the application signal does not include the first fundamental frequency of the normal real-space charge-transfer signal.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the application signal includes a harmonic of the fundamental frequency of the secondary signal.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the second fundamental frequency is based upon a characteristic of a conductive structure overlying the compound semiconductor region.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the characteristic is a number of conductive features of the conductive structure overlying the semiconductor region.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the characteristic is a spacing of individual conductive features of the conductive structure.

34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the characteristic is a number of conductive features of the conductive structure overlying the semiconductor region, and a spacing between the conductive features.

35 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the structure is a grate.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the grate is periodic.

37 . (canceled)

38 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the structure is an array.

39 . (canceled)

40 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the structure is spaced apart from the compound semiconductor region by less than 2500 Angstroms.

41 . (canceled)

42 . (canceled)

43 . A method of manufacturing a real-space charge transfer device comprising:
providing a substrate having planar active region disposed between a cathode and an anode, the planar active region having a length defined by a dimension between the cathode and the anode, and the active region being doped with an n-type dopant; forming a conductive structure overlying the active region, wherein the conductive structure has a repetitive feature along the length of the active region, and is spaced apart from the active region by no more than 2500 Angstroms.

44 .- 77 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Smith Don D
• Freescale Semiconductor Inc

Inventors

• Smith Don D

Classifications

• H03K5/04

  by increasing duration; by decreasing duration · CPC title

• H03K5/1252

  Suppression or limitation of noise or interference (specially adapted for transmission systems H04B15/00, H04L25/08) · CPC title

• H01L47/026 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H03B2009/123

  using Gunn diodes · CPC title

• H03B9/12 Primary

  using solid state devices, e.g. Gunn-effect devices · CPC title