Patent ID: 6133593
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
An electronic device comprising the following layers disposed on a substrate:a barrier layer of a semiconductor material;a subchannel layer of a semiconductor material;an intermediate barrier layer of a semiconductor material having a controlled thickness so as to permit electrons to tunnel through the intermediate barrier layer to the subchannel layer and to confine electrons in a main channel layer at low electric fields and to confine the electrons in the subchannel layer at high electric fields;a main channel layer of a semiconductor material;a multilayer composite layer of semiconductor materials having at least a barrier layer in contact with the channel layer;a cap layer of a semiconductor material;two ohmic contacts disposed on the cap layer; anda Schottky gate in contact with the multilayer composite layer;wherein the subchannel layer and the main channel layer are made of the same or different materials which have the proper respective energy gaps and ground state energies such that during use the transfer of hot electrons from the main channel layer into the subchannel layer is made probable to reduce impact ionization in the main channel layer.