Patent ID: 6794734
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
A semiconductor P-I-N heterojunction switching device for switching between a first conduction mode for enabling transfer of a non-optical signal applied at a first terminal of said switching device to a second terminal of said device in response to application of a DC bias signal, and a second isolation mode wherein substantially no output signal is generated at said second terminal, comprising:a first layer of aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) semiconductor material of a first doping type and coupled to said first terminal; a second layer of gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor material of a second doping type and coupled to said second terminal; and an intrinsic layer of semiconductor material of gallium arsenide (GaAs) coupled between the first and second layers, the first layer having an energy bandgap greater than an energy bandgap of the intrinsic layer of semiconductor material, and wherein in response to said non-optical signal applied at said first terminal and said DC bias signal applied to said device, said switching device operates in said first conduction mode to cause forward injection of carriers from the first layer to the intrinsic layer while retarding back injection of oppositely charged carriers from the intrinsic layer to the first layer, to generate said output signal at said second terminal.