New rectifying semiconductor structure by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

A new unipolar rectifying semiconductor structure is demonstrated. Rectification is produced by an asymmetric potential barrier created by an MBE-grown sawtooth-shaped composition wave of AlxGa1−xAs between layers of n-type GaAs. Single and multiple barriers as well as doped and undoped barriers have been studied and showed rectification. This is the first structure in which rectification has been produced directly by compositional grading.