Patent ID: 7282778

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a metal-semiconductor Schottky diode, characterized by an ultrathin metal film and Schottky barrier with current-voltage characteristics of a diode for separation of charge and the interaction of the surface adsorbates on said metal film to produce electrons or holes of sufficient energy to transverse said ultrathin metal film and cross said Schottky barrier; zero force electrical contacts coupled to said metal film, said zero force electrical contacts being less than 100 Angstroms thick; said metal-semiconductor Schottky diode being formed in a wafer of silicon substrate; said zero force electrical contacts comprising two metalized contacts and a 4000 Angstrom oxide layer which are deposited using photolithographic techniques on said 4000 Angstrom oxide layer prepared on said silicon substrate; said wafer having an upper surface on which said zero force contacts are disposed and a back on which an ohmic contact is provided by means of As + and B + ion implantation; thick gold contact pads evaporated on said 4000 Angstrom thermal oxide layer and thus isolated from said silicon substrate; and a window which is chemically wet etched through said 4000 Angstrom thermal oxide layer between said isolated gold pads through the use of buffered hydrofluoric acid leaving a clean, passivated silicon surface in said window.