Patent US3691481A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3691481A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Negative resistance element
Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
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Filing: 1971-07-29
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Granted: 1972-09-12
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Expires: 1991-07-29
Abstract
Abstract Occurrence of high field domain in the conventional Gunn diode is prevented by covering a solid body such as a semiconductor element partially or wholly by a dielectric member or by a control element such as a metallic layer coupled reactively with the solid body through a dielectric member, whereby a solid state element having a negative differential conductivity is obtained. Such a type of negative-resistance solid state element, together with its various modes of embodimental construction disclosed herein, affords a superior solid state element which is applicable to amplifiers, oscillators, logic memories, and the like of millimeter or submillimeter bands.
Inventors
- 👤 Shoei Kataoka
- 👤 Hiroshi Tateno
- 👤 Hiroyuki Fujisada
- 👤 Mitsuo Kawashima
- 👤 Yasuo Komamiya
- 👤 Hideo Yamada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:30
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10N; H10N80/00; H10N80/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A negative-resistance solid state element comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; an electrode ohmically attached to each of said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; and at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body and having a permittivity sufficiently higher than that of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A negative-resistance solid state element comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; an electrode ohmically attached to each of said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; and at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body and having a permittivity sufficiently higher than that of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
121 words
A negative resistance solid state element comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; an electrode ohmically attached to each of said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body; and at least one metal layer provided on said dielectric member cooperative therewith, capacitance created by said dielectric member and the metal layer being effective to shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage, thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
121 words
A negative resistance solid state element comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; an electrode ohmically attached to each of said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body; and at least one metal layer provided on said dielectric member cooperative therewith, capacitance created by said dielectric member and the metal layer being effective to shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage, thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 1, in which the cross-sectional area of said solid body at portions near said electrodes differs from the cross-sectional area at remaining portions thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of said solid body is enlarged at regions near said electrodes in comparison with the cross-sectional area at remaining regions thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 1, wherein said solid body is provided with an input electrode disposed near one said electrode and an output electrode disposed near the other of said electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 1, further including at least one control element ohmically attached to said solid body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one control element capacitively attached to said solid body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, wherein a pair of output electrodes are provided on the surface of the solid body near the two ends thereof, said output electrodes being reactively coupled with said solid body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of one end portion of said solid body is enlarged in comparison with the remaining portions thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of said solid body is enlarged at both said ends in comparison with the remaining portions thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
105 words
A negative-resistance device consisting of a plurality of laminated negative-resistance solid state elements, each comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; electrodes ohmically attached to said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; and at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said high electrIc field thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
105 words
A negative-resistance device consisting of a plurality of laminated negative-resistance solid state elements, each comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; electrodes ohmically attached to said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; and at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface portion of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said high electrIc field thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
126 words
A negative-resistance device consisting of a plurality of laminated negative-resistance solid state elements, each comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; electrodes ohmically attached to said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface part of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes; and at least one metal layer superposed on said dielectric member coacting therewith to effectively suppress high electric field domains in said solid body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
126 words
A negative-resistance device consisting of a plurality of laminated negative-resistance solid state elements, each comprising: a solid body composed of semiconductor material having at least two ends and exhibiting a negative differential conductivity when placed in a high electric field; electrodes ohmically attached to said ends; means for applying a voltage across said electrodes; at least one dielectric member covering at least one surface part of said solid body to effectively shortcircuit space charges created in said solid body during the application of said voltage thereby preventing high electric field domains from nucleating therein and establishing a negative resistance across said electrodes; and at least one metal layer superposed on said dielectric member coacting therewith to effectively suppress high electric field domains in said solid body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of dielectric members are provided on said solid body with a small air gap therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the direction of current flow in said solid body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of dielectric members and a plurality of metal layers are provided on said solid body with a small air gap therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the direction of current flow in said solid body.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of metal layers are provided on said dielectric layer with a small air gap therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the direction of current flow in said solid body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric member extends sufficiently to cover the junction portions between said solid body and said ohmically attached electrodes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, wherein said dielectric member and said metal layer extend lengthwise sufficiently to cover the junction portions between said solid body and said ohmically attached electrodes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, in which the cross-sectional area of said solid body at portions near said electrodes differs from the cross-sectional area at remaining portions thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of said solid body is enlarged at its regions near the electrodes in comparison with the rest of the regions thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
A negative-resistance solid state element according to claim 2, wherein said solid body is provided with an input electrode disposed near the cathode thereof and with an output electrode disposed near the anode thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of one end portion of the solid body near the anode is enlarged in comparison with the rest of the portions thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
38 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of both end portions of the solid body near the anode and cathode is enlarged in comparison with the rest of the portions thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
102 words
A negative-resistance solid state device comprising: an elongated semiconductor body having a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart ends operable in a first mode to develop therein travelling electric field domains successively travelling from one said end to the other said end and a second mode exhibiting a negative differential conductivity; an electrode ohmically affixed to each said end, means for applying a voltage during operation of the device between said electrodes effective to bias said elongated semiconductor body into said first mode; and suppressing means for effectively suppressing said travelliNg electric field domains to convert said elongated semiconductor body into said second mode.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
102 words
A negative-resistance solid state device comprising: an elongated semiconductor body having a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart ends operable in a first mode to develop therein travelling electric field domains successively travelling from one said end to the other said end and a second mode exhibiting a negative differential conductivity; an electrode ohmically affixed to each said end, means for applying a voltage during operation of the device between said electrodes effective to bias said elongated semiconductor body into said first mode; and suppressing means for effectively suppressing said travelliNg electric field domains to convert said elongated semiconductor body into said second mode.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device according to claim 23, wherein said suppressing means comprises a dielectric member having a permittivity higher than that of said semiconductor body disposed around at least a portion of the peripheral surface of said elongated semiconductor body.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device according to claim 24, wherein said dielectric member extends longitudinally over at least a major portion of the length of said elongated semiconductor body.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 25, wherein said elongated semiconductor body has a different cross-sectional area near each said end than at remaining portions thereof.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device according to claim 25, including a metallic layer superposed on the exterior of said dielectric member reactively coupled with said semiconductor body through said dielectric member.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device according to claim 25, further including another electrode ohmically connected to said semiconductor body between said spaced-apart ends.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device according to claim 25, further including another electrode reactively coupled with said semiconductor body at a location between said spaced-apart ends.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 1, further including at least one control element capacitively attached to said solid body.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
A negative-resistance solid state element as claimed in claim 2, further including at least one control element ohmically attached to said solid body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-12 | 1976-03-13 | 1976-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-12 | 1980-03-13 | 1980-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-12 | 1984-03-13 | 1984-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |