Comment on "Magnetic transistor behavior explained by modulation of emitter injection, not carrier deflection"

In order to investigate the influence of emitter crowding on the sensitvity, we fabricated a batch of devices that were completely similar to those reported by V. Zieren and B.P.M. Duyndam [1982], except for one thing. The base diffusion was omitted, resulting in a device with a top contact and a pair of two buried bottom contacts. In fact we are now dealing with a three-terminal resistor. The device shows a magnetic sensitivity which is very much comparable to that of the transistor sensor. Since any junction is absent and since the device is operated in a constant current mode and both output terminals are kept at equal voltages, the magnetic sensitivity cannot possibly be the result of a "modulation of emitter injection level" as was stated by Vinal and Masnari [ibid., Lett., EDL-3, no. 8, pp. 203-205. Aug. 1982]. Furthermore, it must be clear that in our transistor device the collector region - with a thickness of 9μm - is of more importance for deflection than the 0.6μm-thin base layer although the latter was suggested by Vinal and Masnari.