GB1070411A - Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices - Google Patents

Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices

Info

Publication number
GB1070411A
GB1070411A GB37137/63A GB3713763A GB1070411A GB 1070411 A GB1070411 A GB 1070411A GB 37137/63 A GB37137/63 A GB 37137/63A GB 3713763 A GB3713763 A GB 3713763A GB 1070411 A GB1070411 A GB 1070411A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
tellurium
devices
germanium
current
electrodes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB37137/63A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Energy Conversion Devices Inc
Original Assignee
Energy Conversion Devices Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Energy Conversion Devices Inc filed Critical Energy Conversion Devices Inc
Priority claimed from US358841A external-priority patent/US3336484A/en
Publication of GB1070411A publication Critical patent/GB1070411A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H03ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03KPULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L29/00Semiconductor devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching and having potential barriers; Capacitors or resistors having potential barriers, e.g. a PN-junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H03ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03KPULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/51Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used
    • H03K17/56Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices
    • H03K17/70Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices the devices having only two electrodes and exhibiting negative resistance
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H03ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03KPULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K3/00Circuits for generating electric pulses; Monostable, bistable or multistable circuits
    • H03K3/02Generators characterised by the type of circuit or by the means used for producing pulses
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/20Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/20Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
    • H10N70/231Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/20Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
    • H10N70/253Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistor-like devices
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/821Device geometry
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/821Device geometry
    • H10N70/823Device geometry adapted for essentially horizontal current flow, e.g. bridge type devices
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/821Device geometry
    • H10N70/826Device geometry adapted for essentially vertical current flow, e.g. sandwich or pillar type devices
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/841Electrodes
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/881Switching materials
    • H10N70/882Compounds of sulfur, selenium or tellurium, e.g. chalcogenides
    • H10N70/8822Sulfides, e.g. CuS
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/881Switching materials
    • H10N70/882Compounds of sulfur, selenium or tellurium, e.g. chalcogenides
    • H10N70/8825Selenides, e.g. GeSe
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/881Switching materials
    • H10N70/882Compounds of sulfur, selenium or tellurium, e.g. chalcogenides
    • H10N70/8828Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10NELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N70/00Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
    • H10N70/801Constructional details of multistable switching devices
    • H10N70/881Switching materials
    • H10N70/883Oxides or nitrides
    • H10N70/8833Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Resistance Heating (AREA)
  • Thyristors (AREA)
  • Control Of Electrical Variables (AREA)
  • Thermistors And Varistors (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
  • Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Memories (AREA)
  • Non-Volatile Memory (AREA)

Abstract

1,070,411. Semi-conductor switches. ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICES INCORPORATED. Sept. 20, 1963 [Sept. 28, 1962; Jan. 18, 1963 (3); June 17, 1963], No. 37137/63. Heading H1K. [Also in Divisions H2 and H3] A symmetrical switch comprises a semi-conductor material between ohmic electrodes the material being switchable from a generally amorphous high-resistance blocking state to a crystalline conductive state. It may be switched to. the conductive state by application of a direct voltage above a threshold value and is capable under certain conditions of remaining in this state while the current is reduced to zero but can be switched back to the blocking state by a current pulse above a threshold value. Three types of device, referred to as the HILO, CIRCUIT BREAKER and MECHANISM WITH MEMORY devices respectively are described. The first two may also be rendered conductive by an alternating voltage above a threshold value and remain so when the current is removed but can be rendered blocking again when the applied voltage is below the threshold by a pulse current above a certain value. In the case of the circuit breaker reversion to the blocking state occurs even if the current is slowly raised to such a value. Response of the mechanism devices with memory to alternating currents is different. They switch on when the alternating voltage peak exceeds a threshold but switch off momentarily during the low-current parts of each cycle and switch off altogether when the applied voltage falls to a lower threshold value. In all cases the threshold values are temperature variable. The same physical constructions are used for all three types of device. Typically the semi-conductor material is in the form of a body with electrodes on opposed faces or on the same face. Alternatively it is a layer on one face of a conductive or insulating block. Where the block is conductive it may constitute one electrode of one device or the common electrode of two series-connected devices. In each case further control electrodes may be provided on the body or layer. In a particular form of device the body is necked and insulated control electrodes are provided on the necked region between the main electrodes. The semi-conductor material may alternatively be a coating on one or both of two wires which may be in contact side by side or crossing one another or twisted together. Lead sulphide and specified mixtures of tellurium and germanium which may contain vanadium pentoxide, magnetic particles, or gallium arsenide and iron as additives, of tellurium and antimony, gallium antimonide, nickel, silicon or indium antimonide, and of selenium and germanium are suitable materials for use in HILO devices. Various treatments and methods of providing electrodes to such materials are discussed. HILO devices may alternatively consist of aluminium or tellurium between layers of tellurium oxide each provided with an electrode or of surface oxidized copper, iron or aluminium wires twisted together. Circuit breakers may consist of specified mixtures of tellurium and germanium with or without silicon, caesium, or gallium arsenide and iron, bodies of selenium-germanium, or bodies of tellurium-germanium coated with a mixture of tellurium, arsenic, gallium and lead sulphide. The alloy materials are prepared by grinding up the components, melting in a sealed vessel and grinding or casting the resulting material to the required form. Alternatively they may be vapour deposited on a substrate. It is stated that the materials may be improved and stabilized by additions of arsenic, sulphur, phosphorus, antimony, arsenides, sulphides, phosphides and antimonides, gold, carbon, chlorine, oxygen, nickel, iron, manganese, aluminium, caesium and other alkali or alkaline earth metals, by electroforming, and by various mechanical and heat treatments, etching and radiation bombardment. The theory of operation of the devices is discussed in the Specification.
GB37137/63A 1962-09-28 1963-09-20 Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices Expired GB1070411A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22684362A 1962-09-28 1962-09-28
US25251163A 1963-01-18 1963-01-18
US25246763A 1963-01-18 1963-01-18
US25251063A 1963-01-18 1963-01-18
US28824163A 1963-06-17 1963-06-17
US358841A US3336484A (en) 1964-04-10 1964-04-10 Power switching circuit

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1070411A true GB1070411A (en) 1967-06-01

Family

ID=27559185

Family Applications (3)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB54994/66A Expired GB1070412A (en) 1962-09-28 1963-09-20 Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices
GB37137/63A Expired GB1070411A (en) 1962-09-28 1963-09-20 Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices
GB15084/65A Expired GB1108945A (en) 1962-09-28 1965-04-09 Improvements in or relating to power switching circuits

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB54994/66A Expired GB1070412A (en) 1962-09-28 1963-09-20 Improvements in or relating to symmetrical current controlling devices

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB15084/65A Expired GB1108945A (en) 1962-09-28 1965-04-09 Improvements in or relating to power switching circuits

Country Status (11)

Country Link
JP (2) JPS503916B1 (en)
AT (1) AT280428B (en)
CH (1) CH471441A (en)
DE (3) DE1465470A1 (en)
DK (1) DK118782B (en)
FI (1) FI45710C (en)
FR (2) FR1396321A (en)
GB (3) GB1070412A (en)
NL (2) NL158968B (en)
NO (1) NO127780B (en)
SE (3) SE355265B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2118790A (en) * 1982-02-16 1983-11-02 Bonar Instr Limited Universal motor control

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648124A (en) * 1970-06-10 1972-03-07 Ibm Gated metal-semiconductor transition device
US3748501A (en) * 1971-04-30 1973-07-24 Energy Conversion Devices Inc Multi-terminal amorphous electronic control device
GB1469814A (en) * 1973-04-26 1977-04-06 Energy Conversion Devices Inc Solid state electronic device and circuit therefor
JPS5267532A (en) * 1975-12-03 1977-06-04 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> Semiconductor memory unit

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2751477A (en) * 1952-07-15 1956-06-19 Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co Electrical resistive device
US2948837A (en) * 1956-09-04 1960-08-09 Mc Graw Edison Co Solid state electronic switch and circuits therefor

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2118790A (en) * 1982-02-16 1983-11-02 Bonar Instr Limited Universal motor control

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1488833B2 (en) 1972-04-13
NL298324A (en) 1900-01-01
JPS509475B1 (en) 1975-04-12
DE1488833C3 (en) 1975-07-24
CH471441A (en) 1969-04-15
SE332024B (en) 1971-01-25
FI45710C (en) 1972-08-10
DK118782B (en) 1970-10-05
NL158968B (en) 1978-12-15
SE355265B (en) 1973-04-09
AT280428B (en) 1970-04-10
GB1108945A (en) 1968-04-10
DE1488833A1 (en) 1969-02-20
FR1436202A (en) 1966-04-22
DE1465470A1 (en) 1969-08-07
DE1464574B1 (en) 1971-03-25
GB1070412A (en) 1967-06-01
SE326499B (en) 1970-07-27
NO127780B (en) 1973-08-13
FI45710B (en) 1972-05-02
JPS503916B1 (en) 1975-02-12
FR1396321A (en) 1965-04-23

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