High speed electron tunneling devices

• US 7,105,852 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado (University of Colorado System)
• Original Assignee: University Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Moddel, Garret, Eliasson, Blake J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US10/877,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 808 Days
• Field of Search: 257/424, 257/425, 257/427, 257/14
• 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. A detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation incident thereon over a desired range of frequencies, said detector having an output and exhibiting a given responsivity, said detector comprising:

a voltage source for providing a bias voltage;

first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that the bias voltage can be applied across the first and second non-insulating layers, wherein the first non-insulating layer is formed of a metal, and wherein said first and second non-insulating layers are configured to form an antenna structure for receiving said electromagnetic radiation over the desired range of frequencies and directing said electromagnetic radiation to a specific location within the detector; and

an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers at said specific location and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said first and second non-insulating layers as a result of the electromagnetic radiation being received at the antenna structure, said arrangement including at least a first insulating layer configured such that using only said first insulating layer in the arrangement would result in a given value of nonlinearity in said transport of electrons, with respect to said bias voltage, and said arrangement further including a different, second insulating layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with said first insulating layer that said nonlinearity, with respect to said bias voltage, is increased over and above said given value of nonlinearity by the inclusion of said second insulating layer without the necessity for any additional layers, and said arrangement being further configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling, and such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the antenna structure is converted to an electrical signal at the output, said electrical signal having an intensity which depends on the given responsivity.

2. The detector of claim 1 wherein the given responsivity is a function of the bias voltage, and wherein the bias voltage is adjustable such that the given responsivity is consequently adjustable.

3. The detector of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure is further configured to simultaneously receive two distinct frequencies of electromagnetic radiation such that the electrical signal has a frequency equal to a difference between the two distinct frequencies.

4. An electron tunneling device comprising:

a) 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

b) an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said first and second non-insulating layers, said arrangement including i) a first insulating layer such that using only said first insulating layer would result in a given degree of nonlinearity in said transport of electrons, with respect to said given voltage, ii) a different, second insulating layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with said first insulating layer such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling, and such that said nonlinearity in the transport of electrons, with respect to said given voltage, is increased over and above said given degree of nonlinearity by the inclusion of said second insulating layer without the necessity for any additional layers, and iii) a third layer of material configured to further increase said nonlinearity in the transport of electrons, with respect to said given voltage, over and above said given degree of nonlinearity.

5. An electron tunneling device comprising:

a) 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

b) a second arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said first and second non-insulating layers, said arrangement including i) a first insulating layer such that using only said first insulating layer would result in a given degree of nonlinearity in said transport of electrons, with respect to said given voltage, and ii) a different, second insulating layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with said first insulating layer such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by electron tunneling, and such that said nonlinearity in the transport of electrons, with respect to said given voltage, is increased over and above said given degree of nonlinearity by the inclusion of said second insulating layer.

6. A detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation incident thereon over a desired range of frequencies, said detector having an output, said detector comprising:

the electron tunneling device of claim 5 having said given voltage applied as a bias voltage across said first and second non-insulating layers, wherein to first non-insulating layer is a formed of a metal, and wherein said first and second non-insulating layers are configured to form an antenna structure for receiving said electromagnetic radiation over the desired range of frequencies and for directing said electromagnetic radiation to a specific location within the detector and said second arrangement it disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers at said specific location to serve as the transport of electrons, as a result of the electromagnetic radiation being received at the antenna structure such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the antenna structure is converted to an electrical signal at the output.

7. The detector of claim 6 including a responsivity and wherein the responsivity is a function of the bias voltage such that a change in the bias voltage produces a corresponding change in the responsivity.