A photodetector includes a quantum dot group including a first quantum dot of a reference size and a second quantum dot of a size other than the reference size, a first resonant tunneling structure disposed on a first side of the quantum dot group and including a barrier layer, a well layer, and a barrier layer, and a second resonant tunneling structure disposed on a second side of the quantum dot group and including a barrier layer, a well layer, and a barrier layer, wherein a first resonance level of the first resonant tunneling structure and a ground level of the first quantum dot have a relationship that causes tunneling, and a second resonance level of the second resonant tunneling structure and an excited level of the first quantum dot have a relationship that causes tunneling.

A photodetector includes a quantum dot group including a first quantum dot of a reference size and a second quantum dot of a size other than the reference size, a first resonant tunneling structure disposed on a first side of the quantum dot group and including a barrier layer, a well layer, and a barrier layer, and a second resonant tunneling structure disposed on a second side of the quantum dot group and including a barrier layer, a well layer, and a barrier layer, wherein a first resonance level of the first resonant tunneling structure and a ground level of the first quantum dot have a relationship that causes tunneling, and a second resonance level of the second resonant tunneling structure and an excited level of the first quantum dot have a relationship that causes tunneling.

An infrared detector includes, a substrate, a lower contact layer formed on the substrate, a first light receiving layer that is formed on the lower contact layer and has a quantum well structure, an intermediate contact layer formed on the first light receiving layer, a second light receiving layer that is formed on the intermediate contact layer and has a quantum well structure, and an upper contact layer formed on the second light receiving layer. Each of the first light receiving layer and the second light receiving layer includes, a first semiconductor layer that is doped with a first conductivity-type impurity, and a second semiconductor layer that is formed on the first semiconductor layer, and is doped with a second conductivity-type impurity which compensates the first conductivity-type impurity.

A current-assisted photonic demodulator, including a detection portion produced based on germanium, containing at least two doped modulation regions and at least one doped collection region, surrounded by a peripheral lateral portion generating in the detection portion horizontal tensile and vertical compressive mechanical stress. The doped collection region(s) are disposed according to a vertical arrangement in relation to the doped modulation regions.

A semiconductor device that includes an array of imaging cells is provided. Each imaging cell of the array of imaging cells includes an imaging region and first and second charge storage regions. Further, each imaging cell includes first and second quantum dot-in-quantum well (QD-in-QW) structures. The first QD-in-QW structure absorbs an incident electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a predetermined first wavelength band and generates a hole photocurrent. The second QD-in-QW structure absorbs an incident electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a predetermined second wavelength band and generates an electron photocurrent. Each imaging cell further includes p-type and n-type modulation doped QW structures that defines first and second buried QW channels. The first and second buried QW channels provide for lateral transfer of the hole and electron photocurrents for charge accumulation in the first and second charge storage regions, respectively.

A single photon detection circuit is described that includes a germanium photodiode that is configured with zero voltage bias to avoid dark current output when no photon input is present and also is configured to respond to a single photon input by generating a photovoltaic output voltage. A single electron bipolar avalanche transistor (SEBAT) has a base emitter junction connected in parallel with the germanium photodiode and is configured so that the photovoltaic output voltage triggers an avalanche collector current output.

Apparatus and methods for reducing minority carriers in a memory array are described herein. Minority carriers diffuse between ON cells and OFF cells, causing disturbances during write operation as well as reducing the retention lifetime of the cells. Minority Carrier Lifetime Killer (MCLK) region architectures are described for vertical thyristor memory arrays with insulation trenches. These MCLK regions encourage recombination of minority carriers. In particular, MCLK regions formed by conductors embedded along the cathode line of a thyristor array, as well as dopant MCLK regions are described, as well as methods for manufacturing thyristor memory cells with MCLK regions.

An integrated circuit device for protecting circuits from transient electrical events is disclosed. An integrated circuit device includes a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and a second BJT cross-coupled with the first BJT to operate as a first semiconductor-controlled rectifier (SCR), where a base of the first BJT is connected to a collector of the second BJT, and a base of the second BJT is connected to an emitter or a collector of the first BJT. The integrated circuit device additionally includes a triggering device comprising a first diode having a cathode electrically connected to the base of the first BJT. The integrated circuit device further includes a third BJT cross-coupled with the second BJT to operate as a second SCR, where the third BJT has a collector connected to the base of the second BJT and a base connected to the collector of the second BJT.

A method of producing a semiconductor device is presented. The method comprises: providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface; epitaxially growing, along a vertical direction (Z) perpendicular to the surface, a back side emitter layer on top of the surface, wherein the back side emitter layer has dopants of a first conductivity type or dopants of a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type; epitaxially growing, along the vertical direction (Z), a drift layer having dopants of the first conductivity type above the back side emitter layer, wherein a dopant concentration of the back side emitter layer is higher than a dopant concentration of the drift layer; and creating, either within or on top of the drift layer, a body region having dopants of the second conductivity type, a transition between the body region and the drift layer forming a pn-junction (Zpn). Epitaxially growing the drift layer includes creating, within the drift layer, a dopant concentration profile (P) of dopants of the first conductivity type along the vertical direction (Z), the dopant concentration profile (P) in the drift layer exhibiting a variation of a concentration of dopants of the first conductivity type along the vertical direction (Z).

A light-emitting component includes a light-emitting element, a thyristor, and a light-absorbing layer. The thyristor includes a semiconductor layer having a bandgap energy smaller than or equal to a bandgap energy equivalent to a wavelength of light emitted by the light-emitting element. The thyristor causes the light-emitting element to emit light or causes an amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element to increase, upon entering an on-state. The light-absorbing layer is disposed between the light-emitting element and the thyristor such that the light-emitting element and the thyristor are stacked. The light-absorbing layer absorbs the light emitted by the light-emitting element.