Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Non-single crystal – or recrystallized – semiconductor...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-05-29
Niebling, John F. (Department: 2812)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Non-single crystal, or recrystallized, semiconductor...
C257S021000, C257S022000, C257S025000, C257S199000, C257S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239450
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to solid state electronics, and in particular to an improved high-frequency solid state device with negative differential resistance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern microwave and millimeter wave technology requires solid state sources, mixers, and amplifiers which can operate at extremely high frequency, which have low-noise characteristics, and which can be integrated in an IC (integrated circuit) technology. Devices for the highest frequencies generally must be made from GaAs, or other III-V IC's, which are much more expensive than silicon IC's. Alternatively, the III-V device can be hybridized with silicon IC's, which introduces difficult and expensive processing steps.
A resonant tunnel diode (RTD), made from either silicon or a III-V semiconductor, has a Negative Differential Resistance (NDR) in its I-V characteristic and as a result has the capability of operation as an oscillator, an amplifier, or a mixer at extremely high frequencies with reasonable current density and with very low noise. Such RTD's must be fabricated with an epitaxial growth technique such as MBE, MOCVD, MOMBE, etc. Devices made using these techniques will be expensive and difficult to integrate with a less-expensive IC technology.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a solid state device with negative differential resistance which can be easily and inexpensively fabricated and which has the capability of extremely high frequency operation (e.g., 100 Ghz and above) with low noise.
The invention uses tunneling through resonant energy levels in microclusters to achieve NDR, and hence oscillator, amplifier, and mixer, devices. A thin layer of amorphous silicon is deposited on a single crystal substrate, doped N
+
. The amorphous silicon is simultaneously crystallized and oxidized in a dry N
2
and O
2
mixture. The result is a layer of amorphous SiO
2
surrounding microclusters of crystalline silicon. A layer of Polycrystalline silicon is deposited to a thickness of approximately 0.5 micron. Ohmic metal contacts are made to the top and bottom. These active layers are isolated by insulating SiO
2
. A bias voltage is applied between the metal contacts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3277313 (1966-10-01), Unterkofler
patent: 5051786 (1991-09-01), Nicollian et al.
patent: 5206523 (1993-04-01), Goesele et al.
patent: 5606177 (1997-02-01), Wallace et al.
Harvey James F.
Lux Robert A.
Tsu Raphael
Luk Olivia
Niebling John F.
Tereschuk George B.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
Zelenka Michael
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