High-frequency gallium arsenide point-contact rectifiers

Gallium arsenide, one of the Group III-V intermetallic compounds, appears to be an excellent semiconductor for use in point-contact devices. This paper describes some recent work in which single-crystal gallium arsenide, with resistivity adjusted to fit the application, is used for point-contact rectifiers which operate efficiently as frequency converters at frequencies as high as 60 kmc, and for switching diodes which show no minority carrier storage effects for switching time of the order of 10
⁻¹⁰
seconds. These devices will operate over a considerable range in temperature.