Patent ID: 6326639
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B82Y,H01L

Abstract:
A semiconductor heterostructure radiation detector for wavelengths in the infrared spectral range provided with an active layer comprising of a multiplicity of periodically recurring single-layer systems each provided with a potential-well structure having at least one quantum well with subbands as an excitation zone which is connected on one side to a tunnel barrier zone having a potential adjacent to the excitation zone which is higher than a band edge energy of a drift zone adjacent on another side of the potential-well structure, wherein the drift zone is adjacent to a trap zone which is provided with at least one quantum-well structure containing subbands and is connected to the tunnel barrier zone of another single-layer system immediately adjacent in periodic sequence comprising an excitation zone, a drift zone, a trap zone and a tunnel barrier zone, energy levels of the subbands of the quantum-well structures inside the excitation zone and the trap zone and a thickness of the tunnel barrier zone are such that a tunneling probability exists for charge carriers to tunnel from the trap zone through the tunnel barrier zone into the excitation zone.