The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 15, 1990
Charles F Krumm, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A device useful both as a switch and power limiter and particularly adapted for use in microwave application. The device is made with conventional FET processing technology, a current conducting layer being formed at a surface of a substrate, the device then being electrically isolated by using any one of a number of conventional processes. Ohmic contacts are deposited to make electrical contact at the conducting layer. A groove is then cut with a focused ion beam across the conducting layer and between the ohmic contacts. The length of the groove controls the threshold voltage for the device and the depth controls the saturation current. Very low values of saturation current can be obtained by controlling the groove dimensions thus significantly reducing the DC power drain when the device is operated just above saturation. A very high differential resistance ratio is obtained by adjusting the threshold voltage of the device.