High speed electron tunneling devices

• US 20060273301A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado (University of Colorado System)
• Original Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado (University of Colorado System)
• Inventors: Moddel, Garret, Eliasson, Blake J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,595,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/30
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7311 Tunnel transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7606 Transistor-like structures, e.g. hot electron transistor [HET]; metal base transistor [MBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/82 controllable by variation of the magnetic field applied to the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/08 in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/101 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0004 Devices characterised by their operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0037 having a MIS barrier layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 60/10 Junction-based devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/00 Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N79/00

Abstract

A detector includes a voltage source for providing a bias voltage and first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart such that the bias voltage can be applied therebetween and form an antenna for receiving electromagnetic radiation and directing it to a specific location within the detector. The detector also includes an arrangement serving as a transport of electrons, including tunneling, between and to the first and second non-insulating layers when electromagnetic radiation is received at the antenna. The arrangement includes a first insulating layer and a second layer configured such that using only the first insulating in the arrangement would result in a given value of nonlinearity in the transport of electrons while the inclusion of the second layer increases the nonlinearity above the given value. A portion of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the antenna is converted to an electrical signal at an output.

Claims

1. An electron tunneling device comprising:

a first arrangement including first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be applied across the first and second non-insulating layers; and

a second arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to produce electron tunneling therethrough, said second arrangement including i) a first insulating layer such that using only said first insulating layer would result in a given degree of nonlinearity in the electron tunneling, with respect to said given voltage, and ii) a second, different insulating layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with said first insulating layer such that said nonlinearity in the electron tunneling, with respect to said given voltage, is enhanced over and above said given degree of nonlinearity by the inclusion of said second insulating layer.