Patent ID: 6635907
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A semiconductor device exhibiting an interband tunneling characteristic, including a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region, each having a mutually different composition and conductivity type, and separated by an interface layer, the first semiconductor region having a first energy band gap and the second semiconductor region having a second energy band gap, wherein the first and second semiconductor regions are selected such that the first energy band gap and the second energy band gap are shifted in mutually opposite directions, and wherein the interface layer is sufficiently thin to allow for electron carrier transfer between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region to occur via tunneling through the interface layer; and further wherein the first semiconductor region is below the Fermi level and the second semiconductor region is above the Fermi level, and wherein the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region, and the interface layer are further comprised of conduction band edges and valence band edges, and wherein the conduction band edge of one of the first semiconductor region lies below the valence band edge of the other of the second semiconductor region, and wherein, the valence band edge of the interface layer overlaps with the first energy band gap of the first semiconductor region.