Hybrid Plasma-Semiconductor Transistors

 

Plasma-based electronic devices assumed a significant role in communications and display systems in the first half of the 20th century. One example is the plasma voltage regulator (such as the OA, OB, OC, and OD series of rare gas plasma voltage regulators and electronic switches, and the 866A mercury plasma high voltage tube) that was widely incorporated into RF transmitters. This invention demonstrates that portions of a semiconductor transistor can be replaced by plasma, yielding a new family of three terminals, hybrid plasma electronic devices having properties previously unavailable.

Details

This invention provides hybrid semiconductor-plasma transistors in which the plasma replaces at least one semiconductor portion of a conventional transistor. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a plasma bipolar junction transistor (PBJT) in which a plasma serves as the collector for an npn BJT. As the plasma conducts current, light is emitted that can be modulated by imposing a time-varying voltage across (or current through) the emitter-base junction of the PBJT. In this and other devices of the invention, the plasma may either be micro-cavity plasma, offering reduced volume and enhanced electron densities relative to macro-scopic plasma, or a larger volume (conventional) low temperature plasma. Other preferred embodiments of the invention provide plasma MOSFET devices in which plasma controls the conductance of the channel in a MOSFET.

Applications

  • Ultra High Resolution
  • Plasma Displays
  • Next Generation
  • Flexible Displays
  • Biomedical and Environmental Sensors
  • Micro-analytical Instruments having low power consumption
  • 3D chips Other applications where traditional transistors are used

Benefits

These transistors have reduced volumes and are thinner thus the devices formed with these transistors will be smaller and can be used in newer potential applications. The plasma transistors have enhanced electron densities and the plasma modulation can be controlled with very low voltages for the first time and thus the devices will be faster and very energy efficient.