Inventors:
Joel L. Goodrich - Westford MA
Christopher C. Souchuns - Ashland MA
Assignee:
M/A-Com, Inc. - Burlington MA
International Classification:
H01L 2104
Abstract:
A mesa-type PIN diode and method for making same are disclosed. A diode made according to the present invention includes a junction formed in the top surface of the mesa-shaped structure, having an area that is less than (and preferrably, approximately half) the area of the top surface. A highly-doped, N-type conducting layer is formed in the side-walls of the mesa-shaped structure. The resulting diode is subject to greatly reduced charge carrier recombination effects and suffers from much less carrier-to-carrier scattering than conventional diodes. Thus, a diode made according to the present invention is capable of achieving much higher stored charge, lower resistance, lower capacitance, better switching characteristics, and lower power consumption than one made according to the prior art. Particular utility is found, inter alia, in the areas of high-frequency microwave and monolithic circuits.