Semiconductor devices controlled by depletion regions

• US 4,698,653 A
• Filed: 10/09/1979
• Issued: 10/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter T. Cardwell Jr
• Original Assignee: Walter T. Cardwell Jr
• Inventors: Cardwell, Walter T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkins, William D.
• Application Number:
  US06/083,092
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• Field of Search: 357/13, 357/14, 357/22, 357/34, 357/37, 357/41, 357/42, 357/43, 357/48
• US Class Current: 257/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1058 with PN junction gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1066 Gate region of field-effect devices with PN junction gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1075 of field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/808 with a PN junction gate , e.g. PN homojunction gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778, H01L29/806 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/053 Field effect transistors fets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/088 J-Fet, i.e. junction field effect transistor

Abstract

A field effect transistor is disclosed similar to a junction field effect transistor, but in which the depletion width in the channel due to a PN junction adjoining the channel is controlled not by directly controlling the reverse voltage on the PN junction, but by reverse biasing a second PN junction such that the depletion region from the second PN junction meets the depletion region from the first PN junction (on the side other than the channel side) to thus restrict the width of the depletion regions due to the first PN junction.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type forming a substrate region through which no current flows when the device is operating;

a control region and a controlled region of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate material forming junctions with the substrate material positioned so that the substrate region between the junctions is sufficiently narrow to permit the depletion regions of the junctions to merge in the substrate under suitable bias; and

biasing means for applying a reverse bias to each of the junctions wherein a reverse bias is applied to the junctions with respect to the substrate so that the depletion regions merge in the substrate but do not punch through so that the control region controlls the controlled region by means of the merged depletion regions.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type is N type semiconductor material and wherein the regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type are P type semiconductor material.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type is P type semiconductor material and wherein the regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type are N type semiconductor material.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type surrounds at least one of the regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type surrounds all regions of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein all regions of semiconductor material are equally doped with impurity concentrations.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type is more lightly doped with impurity concentrations than the regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type is more heavily doped with impurity concentrations than the substrate region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein all regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type are equally doped with impurity concentrations.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the impurity concentration of the region of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type is produced by diffusion and wherein the diffusion profile is non-uniform.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the impurity concentration of at least one region of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type is produced by diffusion and wherein the diffusion profile is non-uniform.

12. A method of operating a semiconductor device having a region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type forming a substrate through which no current flows when the device is operating, and at least two separate regions of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate material each forming a junction with the substrate material, one of said two separate regions being a control region and the other a controlled region, and wherein the substrate between the junctions is sufficiently narrow to permit the depletion regions of the junctions in the substrate to merge under suitable bias comprising the step of:

applying a reverse bias with respect to the substrate to the junctions so that the depletion regions associated with those junctions merge in the substrate without punch through so that the control region can control the controlled region by means of the merged depletion regions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the bias is applied to the junctions to isolate the regions of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type from the substrate by the merged depletion regions.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the bias is applied to the junctions to isolate the regions of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type from each other by the merged depletion regions.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the bias is applied to the junctions to isolate the depletion regions from large net current flow by limiting the number of carriers available to produce large net currents in the depletion regions.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the bias is applied to one of the junctions to control the degree of coupling between the junctions by varying the amount of bias applied to one of the regions of second conductivity type material with respect to the substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the bias is applied to one of the junctions to uncouple the regions of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type by reducing the applied bias so that the depletion regions no longer merge.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the bias is applied to the junctions to limit the amount of current and degree of coupling between the junctions to leakage current with the merged depletion regions.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

controlling the potential in the merged depletion region by controlling the applied bias.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

varying the potential in the merged depletion region by varying the applied bias.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

controlling the potential in the depletion region on one side of one of the junctions by controlling the bias applied to the other junction.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

adjusting the width of the depletion regions on the merged side of one of the junctions by adjusting the bias applied to either of the junctions.

23. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

controlling the width of the depletion region in one of the regions of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type by adjusting the bias to the other junction.

24. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of

adjusting the applied biases to create a component of the electric field in the merged depletion region parallel to the sides of the junctions whose depletion regions have merged.

25. The method of claim 12 wherein a reverse bias is applied to a first junction and a second junction and further comprising the step of

controlling the point of reversal of the electric field between the junctions in the merged depletion region by adjusting the applied bias to each of the junctions.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of the reversal of the electric field is moved toward the first junction by reducing the applied bias to the first junction.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved away from the first junction by increasing the applied bias to the first junction.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved toward the first junction by increasing the applied bias to the second junction.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved toward the second junction by decreasing the applied bias to the second junction.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved away from the second junction by increasing the applied bias to the second junction.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved toward one of the junctions by decreasing the applied bias to that junction.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of reversal of the electric field is moved away from one of the junctions by increasing the applied bias to that junction.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein the magnitude of the electric field is adjusted by adjusting the applied bias to either one of the junctions.

34. The metod of claim 12 further comprising the step of

controlling the capacitance of at least one of the junctions by controlling the bias applied to the other junction.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the capacitance of one of the junctions is reduced by increasing the applied bias to the other junction.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the capacitance of one of the junctions is increased by reducing the applied bias to the other junction.

37. The method of claim 12 wherein a reverse bias is applied to a plurality of the junctions and wherein the capacitance of the junctions are controlled by controlling the biases applied to any of the junctions.

38. The method of claim 12 wherein the capacitive coupling between the junctions is altered by varying the applied bias to one of the junctions.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the capacitive coupling is increased by increasing the applied bias to one of the junctions.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the capacitive coupling is decreased by decreasing the applied bias to one of the junctions.

41. The method of claim 12 wherein the semiconductor device further comprises means for generating hole-electron pairs in the depletion regions and

wherein the method further comprises the step of controlling the collection of carriers by controlling the point of reversal of the electric field.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the applied bias to one of the junctions is varied to control the collection of carriers by the other junction.

43. The method of claim 12 wherein a reverse bias is applied to each of the junctions so that the depletion region in the substrate associated with each junction can be merged with other depletion regions in the substrate.

44. A method for operating a semiconductor junction device having at least two junctions with a common substrate therebetween through which substrate no current flows when the device is operating comprising the step of:

merging the depletion region associated with each junction in the substrate so that one of the depletion regions on the side of one of the junctions not in the substrate is altered in accordance with changes in the depletion region in the substrate of the other junction.

45. A semiconductor device comprising:

a region of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type;

a region of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first forming a junction with the region of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type through which junction no current flows when the device is operating;

bias means applied across the junction to reverse bias the junction for establishing a depletion region on each side of the junction; and

means, other than the biasing means, for controlling the width of the depletion region on one side of the junction only so that the width of the depletion region on the other side of the junction is altered in proportion to the amount of control applied to the depletion region on the controlled side of the junction.

46. The semiconductor device of claim 45 further comprising a second region of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type forming a second junction with the region of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type through which second junction no current flows when the device is operating and positioned relative to the region of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type so that depletion region associated with the second junction which extends into the region of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type can be merged with the depletion region associated with the first junction in the semiconductor material of the first conductivity type and wherein the means for controlling the width of the depletion region comprises means for applying a reverse bias to the second junction so that the depletion region of that junction merges with the depletion region associated with the first junction.

47. The semiconductor of claim 45 wherein the means for controlling the width of the depletion region on one side of the junction comprises means for imposing an electric field parallel to the edge of the junction and perpendicular to the electric field of the depletion region.

48. The semiconductor device of claim 47 wherein the means for imposing an electric field parallel to the edge of the junction comprises a surface contact within the depletion region.

49. The semiconductor device of claim 47 wherein the means for imposing an electric field parallel to the edge of the junction comprises an MOS capacitor adjacent to the semiconductor material having the controlled depletion region.

50. The semiconductor device of claim 45 wherein the means for controlling the width of the depletion region comprises means for controlling the potential applied to the controlled side of the junction.

51. The semiconductor device of claim 50 wherein the means for controlling the potential on one side of the junction comprises means for producing an IR potential drop parallel to the edge of the junction.

52. The semiconductor device of claim 45 wherein the means for controlling the width of the depletion region on one side of the junction comprises an MOS capacitor constructed to alter the ratio of majority carriers in the depletion region.

53. A junction field-effect device comprising:

a channel region through which current flows having a spaced source electrode and drain electrode all of a first conductivity type;

a substrate through which no current flows of a conductivity type opposite to the channel, a portion of which contacts the channel forming a first junction; and

a gate electrode of the same conductivity type as the channel which contacts the substrate forming a second junction and positioned relative to the channel so that when both junctions are reverse biased the depletion region associated with each junction can be merged in the substrate.

54. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the channel and gate are formed of N-type semiconductor material and the substrate is formed of P-type semiconductor material.

55. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the channel and gate are formed of P-type semiconductor material and the substrate is formed of N-type semiconductor material.

56. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the channel and the gate are equal.

57. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the channel and gate is greater than the impurity concentration of the substrate.

58. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the channel, substrate and gate are equal.

59. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the channel and the substrate are equal.

60. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the substrate is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than the gate.

61. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the channel is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than the gate.

62. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the gate is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than the channel.

63. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the substrate is produced by diffusion and wherein the substrate has a diffusion profile wherein the center of the substrate is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than those portions away from the center of the substrate.

64. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the channel is produced by diffusion and wherein the channel has a diffusion profile wherein the center of the channel is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than those portions away from the center of the channel.

65. The junction field-effect device of claim 53 wherein the impurity concentration of the gate is produced by diffusion and wherein the gate has a diffusion profile wherein the center of the gate is more lightly doped with impurity concentration than those portions away from the center of the gate.

66. A semiconductor device having a plurality of regions for use to control current in an electronic circuit in which controlled currents flow characterized in that at least one of said regions is a substrate through which no controlled current flows and all regions other than the substrate are of the same conductivity type material.

67. A semiconductor device having a plurality of regions for use to control current in an electronic circuit in which controlled currents flow characterized in that at least one of said regions is a substrate of one type conductivity material through which no controlled current flows and all regions other than the substrate are of a conductivity type material different than that of the substrate.

68. The semiconductor device of claim 67 wherein the substrate is formed of intrinsic semiconductor material.

69. The semiconductor device of claim 67 wherein at least one of the regions other than the substrate is formed of intrinsic semiconductor material.

70. The semiconductor device of claim 67 wherein there are at least two regions other than the substrate and wherein at least one of the two regions other than the substrate is formed of a semiconductor material different than that of the other.

71. A field-effect semiconductor device having a source contact and a drain contact interconnected by a conducting channel region and a gate contact positioned relative to the channel to control conductance of the channel but separated from the channel region by a substrate region characterized in that the source, drain, channel and gate are all of the same conductivity type material and the substrate is of a different conductivity type material.

72. A junction field-effect transistor having a conducting channel region and a gate contact to control operation of the channel and an intervening substrate region forming junctions between the channel and substrate and gate and substrate with associated depletion regions characterized in that the channel operation is controlled by the gate by merging the depletion regions in the substrate.

73. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first substrate region through which no current flows when the device is operating formed of a semiconductor material of a first conductivity type;

a plurality of second regions formed of a semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite that of the substrate, each region separated from the other second regions by the substrate and contacting the substrate to form separate junctions and associated depletion regions and positioned so that the depletion regions associated with each junction can be formed and made to merge in the substrate without punch-through whereby the depletion regions in at least one of said second regions can be controlled by another of the second regions using the merged depletion regions in the substrate.

74. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein at least one of said plurality of semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type is a channel region with source and drain electrode regions through which current flows and at least one other of the plurality of regions of the second conductivity type is a gate electrode region positioned relative to the channel to control its conductance but separated from the channel by the substrate.

75. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein the second regions of semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate are arranged to operate as two discrete devices, each device having a gate electrode region and a channel region with source and drain electrode regions and wherein the drain of one of the discrete devices is positioned to operate as the gate electrode region of the other discrete device.

76. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein the plurality of second regions formed of a semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate are arranged to operate as two discrete devices, each device having a channel region, and a gate contact region and wherein the channel of one device is positioned to operate as the gate for the other device.

77. The semiconductor device of claim 73 further comprising:

a second substrate region through which no current flows when the device is operating formed of a conductivity type material different than the first substrate;

a plurality of third regions formed of a semiconductor type material opposite to the second substrate, each third region separated from the other third regions by the second substrate and contacting the second substrate to form separate junctions and associated depletion regions and positioned so that the depletion regions associated with each junction between the second substrate and each third region can be formed and made to merge in the second substrate without punch-through whereby the depletion region in at least one of the third regions can be controlled by another of the third regions using the merged depletion regions in the second substrate;

means for isolating the first substrate from the second substrate; and

means for interconnecting the regions of semiconductor material formed in the first and second substrates so that complimentary semiconductor devices can be constructed.

78. The semiconductor device of claim 73 further comprising biasing means for reverse biasing each junction with respect to the substrate so that depletion regions associated with the junctions merge in the substrate.

79. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein said plurality of regions formed of a semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite that of the substrate comprises a plurality of gate regions and at least one channel region.

80. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein said plurality of regions formed of a semiconductor material of a conductivity opposite that of the substrate comprises a plurality of channel regions and at least one gate region.

81. The semiconductor device of claim 73 further comprising means for applying a control voltage to at least one of said second regions of semiconductor material of a type opposite to that of the substrate.

82. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein one of said second regions of a semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate is a channel and wherein at least two other of the regions formed of a semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate are gate regions.

83. The semiconductor device of claim 82 further comprising biasing means for applying a reverse bias to the channel with respect to the substrate so that the channel is normally pinched off whereby the semiconductor device can be operated in the enhancement mode.

84. The semiconductor device of claim 83 wherein the gate regions are positioned on opposite sides of the channel region and further comprising means for applying a control voltage to the gate regions so that when a control voltage is applied to either gate region the channel is opened whereby the semiconductor device performs an OR function.

85. The semiconductor device of claim 83 wherein the gate regions are positioned at right angles to each other and further comprising means for applying a control voltage to each gate so that both gates function to open the channel and so that a control voltage must be applied to both gates to open the channel whereby the semiconductor device performs an AND function.

86. The semiconductor device of claim 82 wherein said plurality of second regions of semiconductor material of a type opposite to that of the substrate are arranged horizontally adjacent each other but separated by the substrate so that the semiconductor device orientation is vertical with respect to the current flow through the channel.

87. The semiconductor device of claim 82 wherein the plurality of regions of conductivity type opposite to the substrate are arranged vertically adjacent each other but separated by the substrate so that the semiconductor device orinetation is horizontal with respect to current flow through the channel.

88. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein the second regions of semiconductor material of a conductivity type opposite to the substrate are arranged in the substrate in multiple layers to produce a three dimensional semiconductor device.

89. The semiconductor device of claim 73 wherein the plurality of second regions of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate are arranged in the substrate to produce integrated circuitry.

90. In a method of manufacturing a junction field-effect device having at least one channel region through which current is to flow and at least one gate region positioned relative to the channel to control current flow through the channel, both the channel and the gate being doped with impurity contrations, the improvement comprising:

doping both the gate and channel with the same type of impurity material so that they are of the same conductivity type material;

providing an intermediate substrate semiconductor region between the gate region and channel region forming a junction with each; and

doping the intermediate substrate region with an impurity concentration so that it is the opposite conductivity type material.

91. The method of claim 90 wherein the step of doping the substrate comprises:

doping the substrate with impurity concentration so that depletion regions in the substrate caused by bias applied to one of the junctions can be merged with the depletion region in the substrate associated with the second junction.

92. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping the gate and the channel region to the same impurity concentration as the substrate so that all regions have equal doping.

93. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping the channel and gate with an impurity concentration which is greater than the impurity concentration of the substrate.

94. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping the channel to the same impurity concentration as the substrate.

95. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping the chanel and gate with equal amounts of impurity concentration so that the depletion width in the channel is linearally related to the applied voltage to the gate.

96. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping the gate with a greater impurity concentration than the substrate.

97. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping both the gate and the channel with impurity concentrations wherein the impurity concentration of the gate is greater than the impurity concentration of the channel.

98. The method of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping both the channel and gate with impurity concentrations wherein the impurity concentration of the channel is greater than the impurity concentration of the gate.

99. The improvement of claim 90 wherein the doping of the substrate is achieved by diffusion to create a diffusion profile in the substrate wherein the center of the substrate is more lightly doped than portions of the substrate away from the center.

100. The improvement of claim 90 wherein the improvement comprises:

doping one of the regions to a first impurity concentration;

doping a second of the regions to a second impurity concentration so that a doping ratio is established; and

wherein at least one of the operating characteristics of the device is a function of the doping ratio.

101. The method of claim 100 wherein the region which is doped to the first impurity concentration is the gate region and the region which is doped to the second impurity concentration is the substrate region so that a doping ratio is established between the gate region and the substrate region.

102. The method of claim 100 wherein the region which is doped to the first impurity concentration is the channel region and the region which is doped to the second impurity concentration is the substrate region so that a doping ratio is established between the channel region and the substrate region.

103. The method of claim 100 wherein the region which is doped to the first impurity concentration is the gate region and the region which is doped to the second impurity concentration is the channel region so that a doping ratio is established between the gate region and the channel region.

104. The improvement of claim 90 wherein at least one of the doping steps comprises:

applying a dopant for diffusion to the gate region; and

diffusing the dopant into the gate region to create a nonuniform doping profile so that at least one of the operating characteristics of the device is a function of the doping profile.

105. The improvement of claim 90 wherein at least one of the doping steps comprises:

applying a dopant for diffusion to the channel region; and

diffusing the dopant into the channel region to create a nonuniform doping profile so that at least one of the operating characteristics of the device is a function of the doping profile.

106. The improvement of claim 90 wherein at least one of the doping steps comprises:

applying a dopant for diffusion to the substrate region; and

diffusing the dopant into the substrate region to create a nonuniform doping profile so that at least one of the operating characteristics of the device is a function of the doping profile.

107. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first region of first conductivity type;

second and third regions of second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, said second and third regions being separated by said first region, and forming respective first and second PN junctions with said first region;

said first region being sufficiently thin and having sufficiently low doping level that depletion regions formed by reverse biasing said first and second PN junctions can meet within said first region;

a first electrical contact on said first region;

a second electrical contact on said second region;

spaced third and fourth electrical contacts on said third region;

said second region being more heavily doped than said first region.

108. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first region of first conductivity type;

second and third regions of second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, said second and third regions being separated by said first region, and forming respective first and second PN junctions with said first region;

said first region being sufficiently thin and having sufficiently low doping level that depletion regions formed by reverse biasing said first and second PN junctions can meet within said first region;

a first electrical contact on said first region;

a second electrical contact on said second region;

spaced third and fourth electrical contacts on said third region;

means for applying a first, constant voltage between said first electrical contact and said third electrical contact, of a polarity to reverse bias the second PN junction;

means for applying a second voltage between said first electrical contact and said fourth electrical contact, of a polarity to reverse bias said second PN junction;

means for applying a third, signal voltage between said first electrical contact and said second electrical contact;

said third, signal voltage being of varying magnitude, and having at least intermittently a sufficient magnitude in a polarity to reverse bias said first PN junction that the depletion region due to the reverse bias on said first PN junction reaches the depletion region due to the reverse bias applied to said second PN junction by said first and second voltages;

whereby the impedance between said third and fourth electrical contacts is controlled by said third signal voltage.

109. In a semiconductor device having at least two regions of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type and means for electrically contacting the regions so that an external current can flow through one of the regions and an external control voltage can be applied to the other region, the improvement comprising, in combination:

an intermediate layer of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first two regions, through which no external current flows, the intermediate layer being positioned between the first two regions to form junctions therewith and the intermediate region between the junctions being sufficiently narrow to permit the depletion regions in the intermediate layer associated with the junctions to merge in the intermediate layer under suitable bias; and

means for applying a reverse bias to each of the junctions wherein a reverse bias is applied to the junctions with respect to the intermediate layer so that the depletion regions merge in the intermediate layer whereby the control voltage applied to one of the first two regions affects the impedance of and current flow through the other of the first two regions by means of the merged depletion regions.

110. In a semiconductor device wherein current can flow through a channel region of first conductivity type between source and drain, the improvement which comprises:

a gate region of said first conductivity type separated from said channel by an intermediate region of second conductivity type;

first and second junctions being formed between said intermediate region and said channel region and between said intermediate region and said gate region, first depletion regions having a width extending into said channel and intermediate regions from said first junction, and second depletion regions having a width extending into said gate and intermediate regions from said second junction, said intermediate region being of width and doping to allow merging within said intermediate region of said first and second depletion regions; and

bias means for reverse biasing said second junction and for controlling the width of said first depletion region in said channel region.

111. In a semiconductor device, the combination comprising:

first and second PN junctions having approximately parallel portions and having depletion regions associated therewith;

said depletion regions having boundaries displaced from the associated junction as a function of the doping concentrations on either side of said junctions;

said junctions being spaced such that the depletion regions therebetween merge;

reverse bias means connected to the first PN junction for varying the lateral conductivity on the side of the second PN junction remote from said first PN junction.

a third PN junction having depletion regions associated therewith;

said third PN junction being spaced from said first PN junction such that the depletion regions therebetween merge; and

wherein said side of second PN junction remote from said first PN junction comprises a first channel; and

wherein the side of the third PN junction remote from said first PN junction comprises a second channel.

112. The semiconductor device as set forth in claim 111 wherein said first channel is not parallel to the second channel.

113. The semiconductor device as set forth in claim 112 wherein said first channel is not coplanar with said second channel, thereby providing a three dimensional device.

114. The semiconductor device as set forth in claim 111 wherein the reverse bias means and the currents in said first and second channels provide a logic function.

115. The semiconductor device as set forth in claim 111 wherein the depletion regions between said first and third PN junctions merge with little or no externally applied voltage across either junction.