Demonstration of high peak-to-valley current ratio in an N-p-n AlGaAs/GaAs structure

Using the combination of carrier injection modulation (bipolar mode) and channel blocking effect (junction field-effect transistor mode), we demonstrate a three-terminal voltage-controllable negative differential resistance device with a high room-temperature peak-to-valley current ratio in an N-AlGaAs/p ⁺-GaAs/n-GaAs structure. The third terminal is formed through a self-aligned p-type diffused ohmic contact process to the n-GaAs layer instead of the p⁺-GaAs layer. The structure can be viewed as a modified integration circuit of a bipolar transistor and a junction field-effect transistor.