Patents by Inventor Steven Kirchoefer

Steven Kirchoefer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6787882
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of barrier layers and a plurality of quantum well layers which are alternately interleaved with each other and disposed on a substrate of semiconductor material so as to form a multiple-heterojunction varactor diode. The barrier layers and quantum well layers are doped with impurities. The varactor diode includes an ohmic contact which is electrically connected to a heavily doped embedded region and a Schottky contact which is electrically connected to a depletion region of the diode. The ohmic contact and the Schottky contact enable an external voltage source to be applied to the contacts so as to provide a bias voltage to the varactor diode. A variable capacitance is produced as a result of the depletion region varying with a variation in the bias voltage. The varactor diode also provides a constant series resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Steven Kirchoefer
  • Publication number: 20040065943
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of barrier layers and a plurality of quantum well layers which are alternately interleaved with each other and disposed on a substrate of semiconductor material so as to form a multiple-heterojunction varactor diode. The barrier layers and quantum well layers are doped with impurities. The varactor diode includes an ohmic contact which is electrically connected to a heavily doped embedded region and a Schottky contact which is electrically connected to a depletion region of the diode. The ohmic contact and the Schottky contact enable an external voltage source to be applied to the contacts so as to provide a bias voltage to the varactor diode. A variable capacitance is produced as a result of the depletion region varying with a variation in the bias voltage. The varactor diode also provides a constant series resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventor: Steven Kirchoefer