US PATENT SUBCLASS 257 / 14
.~.~ Quantum well

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

9  DF  THIN ACTIVE PHYSICAL LAYER WHICH IS (1) AN ACTIVE POTENTIAL WELL LAYER THIN ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH DISCRETE QUANTUM ENERGY LEVELS OR (2) AN ACTIVE BARRIER LAYER THIN ENOUGH TO PERMIT QUANTUM MECHANICAL TUNNELING OR (3) AN ACTIVE LAYER THIN ENOUGH TO PERMIT CARRIER TRANSMISSION WITH SUBSTANTIALLY NO SCATTERING (E.G., SUPERLATTICE, QUANTUM WELL, OR BALLISTIC TRANSPORT DEVICE) {5}
12  DF  .~ Heterojunction {3}
14.~.~ Quantum well {4}
15  DF  .~.~.~> Superlattice {6}
23  DF  .~.~.~> Current flow across well
24  DF  .~.~.~> Field effect device
25  DF  .~.~.~> Employing resonant tunneling

DEFINITION

Classification: 257/14

Quantum well:

(under subclass 12) Subject matter wherein at least two heterojunctions are formed with a thin active layer of material having a relatively large carrier affinity between two materials with smaller carrier affinities, resulting in a quantum mechanical energy well located in the thin active layer with the relatively large carrier affinity.

(1) Note. Quantum well devices appear in many forms, including (a) heterostructures; (b) only those high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) which use a quantum well or a plurality of quantum wells; (c) superlattices which comprise many quantum wells so tightly coupled that the individual wells are not distinguishable, but rather the wells become analogous to atoms in a lattice and superlattice devices may behave more like new types of materials rather than as groups of coupled quantum wells; and (d) resonant tunneling devices - which exhibit quantum coupling, charge confinement and resonant tunneling.

(2) Note. See the illustration, below, for a s:graphic example of a quantum well device. [figure]