Abstract: A tunnel injection type semiconductor device having an MIS structure comprising a semiconductor region, a source, a drain and a gate electrode, wherein said source and said drain are composed of a metal or metal compound member, respectively, and wherein both have an overlapping portion with said gate electrode. A first conductivity type high impurity concentration semiconductor layer is formed in said semiconductor region in contact with and contiguous to said metalic member at the drain side. The source provides a Schottky barrier junction to said semiconductor region while said drain provides an ohmic contact to said semiconductor region. Using this structure a tunneling current flowing across a Schottky barrier junction between said source and said drain is controlled by a gate voltage.

Abstract: An avalanche photodiode has a rectification barrier formed by an n.sup.+ -layer and a p-type layer of a low doping concentration. A thin p-layer having a higher doping concentration than a p.sup.- -layer is inserted between the p.sup.- -layer and a .pi.-layer, whereby the avalanche breakdown voltage of the photodiode is lowered considerably.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector comprising a first semiconductor layer having N-type conductivity; a second semiconductor layer having N-type conductivity, disposed in the vicinity of the first semiconductor layer and having a resistivity higher than that of the first semiconductor layer; a third region having P-type conductivity, disposed in the vicinity of the second semiconductor layer and having a thickness smaller than that of the second semiconductor layer; a first main electrode kept in ohmic contact with the first semiconductor layer; and a second main electrode kept in ohmic contact with a portion of the third region, the surface of the third region serving as a light receiving surface.