Claims
- 1. A semiconductor device comprising:
- a body made of zinc mercury telluride of the formula Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-z Te, said body being one of n-type and p-type; and
- a dopant contained in said body which defines therein a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient which is in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the p-n junction;
- wherein x=0.4 to 0.6 for Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te.
- 2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said body defines two stable p-n junctions.
- 3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said body is doped with indium to create an n-type conductivity.
- 4. A semiconductor device comprising:
- a body made of zinc mercury telluride of the formula Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te, said body being one of n-type and p-type; and
- a dopant contained in said body which defines therein a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient which is in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the p-n junction;
- wherein the body is of p-type conductivity intially established by the body containing silver and indium.
- 5. A semiconductor device comprising a body of mercury cadmium telluride of the formula Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te being of n-type containing a silver dopant which defines in the body a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the junction, wherein x is in one of a first range such that 0.2.ltoreq.x<0.3 and a second range such that 0.3<x.ltoreq.0.5.
- 6. A semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.2 Cd.sub.0.8 Te.
- 7. A semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.4 Cd.sub.0.6 Te.
- 8. A semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.45 Cd.sub.0.55 Te.
- 9. A semiconductor device comprising:
- a body made of zinc mercury telluride of the formula Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te, said body being one of n-type and p-type; and
- a dopant contained in said body which defines therein a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient which is in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the p-n junction;
- wherein said body is composed of Zn.sub.0.5 Hg.sub.0.5 Te.
- 10. A semiconductor device comprising a body of mercury cadmium telluride of the formula Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te being of p-type containing a silver dopant which defines in the body a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the junction, wherein x is in one of a first range such that 0.2.ltoreq.x<0.3 and a second range such that 0.3<x<0.5.
- 11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.2 Cd.sub.0.8 Te.
- 12. A semiconductor device according to claim 10 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.4 Cd.sub.0.6 Te.
- 13. A semiconductor device according to claim 10 wherein said body is composed of Hg.sub.0.45 Cd.sub.0.55 Te.
- 14. A semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said body is doped with indium to create an n-type conductivity.
- 15. A semiconductor device comprising a body of a semiconductor material being of one of n- or p-type selected from the group consisting of GaAs, InP, Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te, wherein x is 0.19-0.29, 0.31-0.41, Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te wherein x is 0.4-0.6, and A.sub.x B.sub.1-x C wherein A and B are different elements selected from the group consisting of Al , Ga and In, C is As or Sb and x is from 0 to 1, containing an electrically active dopant selected from the group consisting of Ag, Be, Cd and Zn, said dopant defining in said body of said semiconductor material a stable p-n junction having a stable concentration gradient in equilibrium with an internal electric field inherently created by the p-n junction, as a result of which the electrical properties of the said device are self-restored after being degraded by an external perturbation.
- 16. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein said external perturbation is selected from application of forward electrical bias, heating at a temperature above that used for preparing the doped body, illumination with photons of energy higher than the bandgap or by exposure to a beam of energetic particles, and wherein self-restoration of said electric properties of the device occurs at a temperature below the temperature needed for the thermal perturbation, where the intrinsic electronic carrier concentration is at least two orders of magnitude below that of the electrically active dopants.
- 17. A semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein said semiconductor material is Ag-doped Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te, wherein x is 0.19-0.3, 0.31-0.41, prepared by heating Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te with Ag for 1-15 days at about 105-160.degree. C., said external thermal perturbation is applied by heating for about 10-30 minutes at about 180-200.degree. C., and self-restoration occurs by annealing for 0.5-100 days at about 20-80.degree. C.
- 18. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein said semiconductor material is Zn- or Be-doped InP, prepared by heating InP with Zn or Be for 10-60 minutes at about 540-600.degree. C., when said external thermal perturbation is applied by heating for about 10-30 minutes at about 650-680.degree. C., self-restoration occurs by annealing for 2-5 days at about 400-440.degree. C.
- 19. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein said semiconductor material is Zn-, Cd- or Be-doped GaAs, prepared by heating GaAs with Zn, Cd or Be for 30-60 minutes at about 600-700.degree. C., when said external perturbation is applied by heating for about 20-40 minutes at about 700-800.degree. C., self-restoration occurs by annealing for 3-5 days at about 450-550.degree. C.
- 20. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the spatial distribution of the dopant at the p-n junction after perturbation and self-restoration is shifted with respect to its original position, thus creating an extra kinetically stabilized p-n junction.
- 21. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the spatial distribution of the dopant at the p-n junction after perturbation and self-restoration is identical to its original position, thus creating a fully stable p-n junction.
- 22. A semiconductor device comprising a body of a semiconductor material being of one of n- or p-type selected from the group consisting of GaAs, InP, Hg.sub.x Cd.sub.1-x Te, wherein x is 0.19-0.3, 0.31-0.41, Zn.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te wherein x is 0.4-0.6, and A.sub.x B.sub.1-x C wherein A and B are different elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga and In, C is As or Sb and x is 0 to 1, containing an electrically active dopant that creates an internal electric field selected from the group consisting of Ag, Be, Cd and Zn, said device being characterized by a stable p-n junction maintained by suppression of diffusion of said electrically active dopant by said internal electric field, and wherein self-restoration of the electrical properties of the said device occurs after being degraded by an external electrical or thermal perturbation or by perturbation with a photon or other particle beam.
- 23. A semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein said external perturbation is thermal, heating occurs at a temperature above that used for preparing the doped semiconductor body, and self-restoration of said electric properties of the device occurs at a temperature below the temperature needed for the thermal perturbation, where the intrinsic electronic carrier concentration is at least two orders of magnitude below that of the electrically active dopants.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/364,183, filed Dec. 27, 1994, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/046,176, filed Apr. 14, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,242.
US Referenced Citations (29)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Tsyntsyura et al., "Preparation and Same Properties of P--N Junctions Based on Ln.sub.x Hgi-.sub.x Te," Soviet Physics--Semiconductors, vol. 4, No. 8, Feb. 1971. |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
364183 |
Dec 1994 |
|
Parent |
046176 |
Apr 1993 |
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