Extremely uniform tunnel barriers for low-cost device manufacture

Abstract

We report on the final steps needed to achieve the level of control over the properties of single tunnel barriers of AlAs needed to allow the manufacture of high-volume low-cost microwave and millimeter-waves detectors. We achieve a 1% standard deviation of the current-voltage characteristics across 2-in wafers and average currents from different wafers varying by 1%, when modeling shows that a monolayer error in the AlAs barrier layer thickness would result in a 270% change in the same electrical characteristics.