Semiconductor diode with barrier layer - allowing current-voltage characteristic modification by light radiation

摘要

A semiconductor diode (9) has an I-V characteristic controlled by light (4) input into a barrier layer (3) which is pref. a pn-junction between materials with the same or different bandgaps. Use of the semiconductor diode for reducing the steepness of the characteristic and for increasing the steepness of the characteristic e.g. rectification of a.c. signals. The light input (4) is pref. produced by a LED (10) integrated with the controlled diode (9). ADVANTAGE - Exponential curve of diode characteristic can be modified in simple manner. The steepness can be increased so that the I-V curve approximates the ideal curve, e.g. for low loss signal transfer in communications, or to obtain a negative characteristic, e.g. for use as a negative resistance for special switching functions. Alternatively, the steepness can be reduced e.g. for use of the diode in the feedback line of an operational amplifier to increase its gain.