LIGHT SENSITIVE DETECTOR

Abstract

A tunnel diode having a generally rectangular junction area in the 10-10 to 10-11 cm2 range formed in a quasi-planar structure of a first metal, an oxide of the first metal and a second metal. The first metal may be tantalum or other similarly slow oxidizable metals. The second metal may be selected from a group also including tantalum. For a symmetrical junction, the first and second metals are the same, however, for an asymmetrical junction the first and second metals are different. To reduce the diode series electrical and thermal resistance, a gold layer is deposited over the first and second metals. The gold layer over the first metal is deposited everywhere except at or within a few microns of the junction. The device provides a small junction area and also negligible parasitic shunt capacitance which are necessary for efficient room temperature operation at frequencies in the submillimeter to optical region. Direct and heterodyne detection in the 10 microns region has been successfully achieved with these devices.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1JOSEPH A. CALVIELLO

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