Abstract:
987,708. Semi-conductor devices. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. June 12, 1962 [June 12, 1961], No. 22500/62. Heading H1K. A unitary semi-conductor device contains in parallel a tunnel junction and a different type of junction such as a normal rectifying junction or a backward junction. As shown in Fig. 1 a semi-conductor body, apparently of germanium, originally all of N+ conductivity has produced therein, for example by vapour diffusion of arsenic, a degenerate region 3. A material containing an acceptor impurity such as gallium is alloyed to the body and forms a tunnel junction 6 with the degenerate region and depending on the degree of doping of the original body forms either a normal rectifying junction or a backward diode junction with region 2. Leads are attached to a large area ohmic contact 8 bridging the two N-type regions and to the alloyed material 4. The forward characteristic of the device over its operating region is dominated by the behaviour of the tunnel junction 6 so that the peak current Ip of the device may be determined by jet etching the tunnel junction. The capacitance of the device can then be adjusted, without altering the peak current, by jet etching the other junction 7.