SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME

摘要

[PROBLEMS] To provide a semiconductor device which can be driven with a low power supply and yields a high gain, and to provide a method for driving such semiconductor device. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A semiconductor device is provided with a pn junction body wherein a first semiconductor region (11) and a second semiconductor region (10) are adjacent to each other on junction surfaces (30a, 30b) to form a potential barrier; a first electrode (22) connected to the first semiconductor region (11) through an insulator (12) at the vicinity of the junction surface; a second electrode (21) connected to the first semiconductor region (11); and a third electrode (20) connected to the second semiconductor region. When a forward bias is applied between the second electrode (21) and the third electrode (20), the potential barrier is reduced corresponding to the junction surface. When the potential difference is made between the first electrode (22) and the second electrode (21), the potential barrier changes, and in the first semiconductor region (11), a region close to the surface is formed as a channel (31) for having a drive current flow, on a surface layer at the boundary between the first semiconductor region and the insulator (13). As a result, the semiconductor device can be driven as a transistor.