US PATENT SUBCLASS 257 / 104
TUNNELING PN JUNCTION (E.G., ESAKI DIODE) DEVICE

Current as of: June, 1999
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257 /   HD   ACTIVE SOLID-STATE DEVICES (E.G., TRANSISTORS, SOLID-STATE DIODES)

104TUNNELING PN JUNCTION (E.G., ESAKI DIODE) DEVICE {2}
105  DF  .~> In three or more terminal device
106  DF  .~> Reverse bias tunneling structure (e.g., "backward" diode, true Zener diode)

DEFINITION

Classification: 257/104

TUNNELING PN JUNCTION (E.G., ESAKI DIODE) DEVICE:

(under the class definition) Subject matter wherein the active solid-state device includes a heavily doped pn junction where conduction occurs through the junction potential barrier due to a quantum mechanical effect even though the carriers which tunnel through the potential barrier do not have enough energy to overcome the barrier potential.

(1) Note. PN Junction tunnel diodes operated under forward bias are often referred to as Esaki diodes.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

46, for an Esaki diode having a metal contact alloyed to elemental semiconductor type pn junction in a non-regenerative structure.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

326, Electronic Digital Logic Circuitry,

134, for a digital logic device which includes a tunnel diode. 327, Miscellaneous Active Electrical Nonlinear Devices, Circuits, and Systems,

195, for stable state circuits utilizing a tunnel diode; subclass 326 for limiting, clipping, or clamping using a tunnel diode; subclass 402 for a delay controlled switch with tunnel diode; subclasses 420 and 499 for gating circuits utilizing transistors or diodes respectively which use tunnel diodes; and subclass 570 for miscellaneous tunnel diode circuits.

331, Oscillators,

107, for tunnel diode oscillators.

361, Electricity: Electrical Systems and Devices,

100, for tunnel diode current responsive fault sensors.