Back-to-back semiconductor high frequency device

Claim 2

In combination: at least one body of semiconductor material having a substantially uniform carrier density throughout a plurality of active regions thereof; and electrodes comprising contacts for providing an electric field across said regions, at least one of said electrodes having portions extending in a direction parallel to said regions for a distance less than ten times the thickness of said regions and in another direction parallel to said regions for a distance substantially greater than ten times the thickness of said regions.

Claim 3

In combination: at least one body of semiconductor material having an active region for producing amplification at microwave frequencies, said region extending in at least one direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region a distance which is less than 10 times the thickness of said region; a heat sink thermally coupled to said region; and a plurality of electrodes spaced from said heat sink for coupling input power to said active region.

Claim 4

In combination: at least one body of semiconductor material having an active region for producing amplification at microwave frequencies, said region extending in at least one direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region a distance which is less than 10 times the thickness of said region; a heat sink thermally coupled to said region; and a plurality of electrodes spaced from said heat sink for coupling input power to said active region.

Claim 5

The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein said amplification is produced by a periodic spatial variation in the density of charges in said region in an electric field across said region produced by a voltage applied to said electrodes.

Claim 6

The combination in accordance with claim 3 wherein a plurality of active regions are thermally coupled to a common heat sink.

Claim 7

The combination in accordance with claim 4 wherein said voltage is applied in series across said plurality of said regions.

Claim 8

The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein said voltage is applied between a plurality of electrodes spaced from said heat sink by said semiconductor material.

Claim 9

The combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein said electrodes and said heat sink form junctions with said semiconductor material.

Claim 10

The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein said devices are operated to produce carrier multiplication in the region adjacent those junctions which are reverse biased.

Claim 11

The combination in accordance with claim 8 wherein said semiconductor material comprises gallium arsenide.

Claim 12

The combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein said electrodes comprise platinum.

Claim 13

The combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein said heat sink comprises gold.

Claim 14

The combination in accordance with claim 11 wherein said heat sink is mounted on an electrical insulator having high thermal conductivity.

Claim 15

The combination in accordance with claim 12 wherein said electrical insulatoR is mounted on one wall of a cavity enclosing said semiconductor regions.

Claim 16

The combination in accordance with claim 13 wherein at least one conductor of a first high frequency transmission line is coupled through said cavity to a first of said electrodes contacting said semiconductor material.

Claim 17

The combination in accordance with claim 14 wherein said first high frequency transmission line is connected to a signal load.

Claim 18

The combination in accordance with claim 15 wherein a variable current power supply is connected between said electrodes which are spaced from said heat sink.

Claim 19

The combination in accordance with claim 16 wherein a second high frequency transmission line has at least one conductor connected to a second of said electrodes.

Claim 20

The combination in accordance with claim 17 wherein said second high frequency transmission line presents a frequency determining reactance to said semiconductor regions.

Claim 21

The combination in accordance with claim 17 wherein said second high frequency transmission line is fed by a signal source through a signal isolator.

Claim 22

The combination in accordance with claim 19 wherein said signal isolator comprises a ferrite circulator having at least three ports, a first of which is coupled to said signal source, a second of which is coupled to said second high frequency transmission line and third of which is coupled to a substantially impedance matched load over the range of operating frequencies of the system.

Claim 23

In combination: a body of semiconductor material comprising a portion of a predetermined conductivity type having an active region disposed in said portion of said body between substantially uniformly spaced surfaces of the opposite sides of said portion of said body, said active region having a substantially uniform density of fixed impurity carriers throughout said active region; and a nonbarrier electrical connection at one of said surfaces on one side of said portion and rectifying electrical connection at the other of said surfaces for applying an electrical field through said active region, said region extending in one direction substantially parallel to said surfaces for a distance less than ten times the thickness of said region between the surfaces and in another direction substantially parallel to said surfaces for a distance at least greater than twice the thickness of said region between said surfaces.

Claim 24

In combination: a body of semiconductor material comprising a portion of a predetermined conductivity type having an active region disposed in said portion of said body between substantially uniformly spaced surfaces of the opposite sides of said portion of said body, said active region having a substantially uniform density of fixed impurity carriers throughout said active region; and a nonbarrier electrical connection at one of said surfaces on one side of said portion and rectifying electrical connection at the other of said surfaces for applying an electrical field through said active region, said region extending in one direction substantially parallel to said surfaces for a distance less than ten times the thickness of said region between the surfaces and in another direction substantially parallel to said surfaces for a distance at least greater than twice the thickness of said region between said surfaces.

Claim 25

In combination: a body of semiconductor material having an active region for producing amplification at microwave frequencies disposed in said body between substantially uniformly spaced surfaces of the opposite sides of said body; a plurality of electrical connections to said body for providing an electric field of a predetermined polarity through said active region, a nonbarrier electrical connection for said polarity at one of said surfaces on one side of said body and a back biased rectifying electrical connection for said polarity at the other of said surfaces, said active region extending in a direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region and to the average direction of said electrical field for a distance which is less than ten times the thickness of said active region and in another direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region and to the average direction of said field for a distance which is at least greater than twice the thickness of said active region; and a heat sink thermally coupled to said region and extending in said directions substantially beyond the edges of said active region.

Claim 26

In combination: a body of semiconductor material having an active region for producing amplification at microwave frequencies disposed in said body between substantially uniformly spaced surfaces of the opposite sides of said body; a plurality of electrical connections to said body for providing an electric field of a predetermined polarity through said active region, a nonbarrier electrical connection for said polarity at one of said surfaces on one side of said body and a back biased rectifying electrical connection for said polarity at the other of said surfaces, said active region extending in a direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region and to the average direction of said electrical field for a distance which is less than ten times the thickness of said active region and in another direction substantially transverse to the average direction of motion of carriers in said region and to the average direction of said field for a distance which is at least greater than twice the thickness of said active region; and a heat sink thermally coupled to said region and extending in said directions substantially beyond the edges of said active region.