Intel Corporation
III-N tunnel device architectures and high frequency mixers employing a III-N tunnel device

Abstract:

Group-III nitride (III-N) tunnel devices with a device structure including multiple quantum wells. A bias voltage applied across first device terminals may align the band structure to permit carrier tunneling between a first carrier gas residing in a first of the wells to a second carrier gas residing in a second of the wells. A III-N tunnel device may be operable as a diode, or further include a gate electrode. The III-N tunnel device may display a non-linear current-voltage response with negative differential resistance, and be employed as a frequency mixer operable in the GHz and THz bands. In some examples, a GHz-THz input RF signal and local oscillator signal are coupled into a gate electrode of a III-N tunnel device biased within a non-linear regime to generate an output RF signal indicative of a frequency difference between the RF signal and a local oscillator signal.