Patent ID: 7170105

Claim:
A semiconductor device exhibiting an interband tunneling characteristic, the semiconductor device comprising: a first semiconductor layer having a first conduction band edge and a first valence band edge, with the first conduction band edge being an energy level greater than the first valence band edge, with the difference between the first valence band edge and the first conduction band edge being a first band-gap; a second semiconductor layer having a second conduction band edge and a second valence band edge, with the second conduction band edge being an energy level greater than the second valence band edge, with the difference between the second valence band edge and the second conduction band edge being a second band-gap, and the second semiconductor layer formed to allow for electron carrier tunneling transport therethrough; and a third semiconductor layer having a third conduction band edge and a third valence band edge; where the second semiconductor layer is between the first semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer, with the third conduction band edge being an energy level greater than the third valence band edge, with the difference between the third valence band edge and the third conduction band edge being a third band-gap; and where: a Fermi level of the semiconductor device is nearer to the first conduction band edge than to the first valence band edge; the second valence band edge is lower than the first conduction band edge; the second conduction band edge is greater than the third valence band edge; and the Fermi level of the semiconductor device is nearer to the third valence band edge than to the third conduction band edge.