Patent ID: 9735247
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A high-frequency electrode conductively coupled to a terminal of a transistor, the electrode, terminal, and transistor being formed as an integrated circuit on a substrate by semiconductor fabrication processes, the transistor having a pre-designed minimum operating frequency, a pre-designed maximum operating frequency, and an operating frequency range that encompasses 2*10 10 Hz, a current flowing through the electrode, terminal and transistor in a pre-defined direction during operation of the transistor, the electrode comprising: a high-frequency conductor conductively coupled to the terminal by a first intermediate conductor to establish a Schottky contact between the high-frequency conductor and the terminal; wherein the high-frequency conductor comprises a first segment, a second segment, and a second intermediate conductor, the first segment and second segment lacking physical communication with each other, with the terminal, and with the substrate, the first segment further lacking physical communication with the first intermediate conductor; the second intermediate conductor being located between the first segment and second segment and being in physical and electrical communication with each one of the first segment and second segment, said current flowing through said first segment, said second intermediate conductor, said second segment, said first intermediate conductor; said terminal, and said transistor in order according to the pre-defined direction; wherein along a first surface of the first segment where the first surface makes contact with a second surface of the second intermediate conductor, the first surface has greater surface area than the second surface so as to extend beyond the second surface; wherein along a third surface of the second segment where the third surface makes contact with a fourth surface of the second intermediate conductor, the third surface has greater surface area than the fourth surface so as to extend beyond the fourth surface; wherein along a fifth surface of the second segment where the fifth surface makes contact with a sixth surface of the first intermediate conductor, the fifth surface has greater surface area than the sixth surface so as to extend beyond the sixth surface; wherein current flows at a surface region of said first segment and a surface region of said second segment to a skin depth, each one of said first segment and said second segment having a thickness along a common dimension that is at least two times the skin depth for current flowing at said maximum operating frequency and no more than 2.5 times the skin depth for current flowing at said minimum operating frequency; wherein the second intermediate conductor is a metal from group 3A or 4A or a transition metal or comprises at least one such metal as an alloying element, the second intermediate conductor being of different material composition than each of the first segment and second segment; and wherein each one of the first intermediate conductor and second intermediate conductor are etchable by an etchant substance to which the first segment and second segment resist etching.