Semiconductor quantum effect device having negative differential resistance characteristics

摘要

A semiconductor quantum effect device having negative differential resistance characteristics includes : a composite potential barrier layer including a first potential barrier layer (I) and a second potential barrier layer (II), a carrier injection side semiconductor layer (III) connected in contact with the first potential barrier layer; and a carrier injected side semiconductor layer (IV) connected in contact with the second potential barrier layer (II).;The semiconductor material elements forming the respective layer satisfy the condition that, when the voltage is not applied to the semiconductor material elements, the energy level (E_C3, E_C4, resp) at the bottom of conduction band in the carrier injection side semiconductor layer (III) and in the carrier injected side side semiconductor layer (IV) is lower than the energy level at the top of the valence band (E_V2) in the second potential barrier layer (II) and that a Fermi level (E_F2) within the second potential barrier layer (II) is nearly at the same level as the Fermi level (E_F4) within the barrier injected side semiconductor layer (IV), and an electron (e) and a hole (h) are operated in a cooperative relation therebetween.