Negative Resistance Tunnel Diodes in Silicon Carbide

Although rectifying p-n junctions in silicon carbide have been known for a long time, great difficulties have been encountered in constructing useful active devices in this material. This communication describes an active device operable at temperatures as high as 500°C and consisting of a tunnel diode p-n junction
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formed by alloying Si to crystals of very heavily doped p-type hexagonal Sic. The diode is made by using a very fast alloying cycle similar to those used to produce tunnel diodes in such materials as Ge or GaAs. The I–V characteristics have been generally similar to those of tunnel diodes produced in these materials, but the peak-to-valley current ratios achieved so far have been much lower, the highest value being 1.37.