Operation of InGaAs/InP-based ballistic rectifiers at room temperature and frequencies up to 50 GHz

Novel semiconductor rectifiers based on ballistic electron transport are fabricated from a high electron-mobility InGaAs/lnP wafer. Because the device sizes are sufficiently small, operations at room temperature are achieved. Furthermore, the devices are shown to work not only at least up to 50 GHz but also with a sensitivity roughly the same as commercial microwave diodes, despite the fact that the devices have not yet been optimized. Aspects of using the devices in microwave applications are discussed in terms of the physical mechanism of the novel rectifying effect.