US1796372A - Asymmetric conductor of electricity - Google Patents
Asymmetric conductor of electricity Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US1796372A US1796372A US336469A US33646929A US1796372A US 1796372 A US1796372 A US 1796372A US 336469 A US336469 A US 336469A US 33646929 A US33646929 A US 33646929A US 1796372 A US1796372 A US 1796372A
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- electricity
- asymmetric
- asymmetric conductor
- conductor
- 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 - Lifetime
Links
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 title description 21
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 title description 14
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 17
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 17
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 12
- 229910000776 Common brass Inorganic materials 0.000 description 8
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 229910001369 Brass Inorganic materials 0.000 description 6
- 239000010951 brass Substances 0.000 description 6
- 230000001464 adherent effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910000881 Cu alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/16—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising cuprous oxide or cuprous iodide
- H01L21/161—Preparation of the foundation plate, preliminary treatment oxidation of the foundation plate, reduction treatment
- H01L21/164—Oxidation and subsequent heat treatment of the foundation plate
Definitions
- My invention relates to asymmetric conductors of electricity, that is, to conductors which offer relatively low resistance to current flowing in one direction but relatively high resistance to current flowing in the other direction.
- Fig. '1 is a View showing a front elevation
- Fig. 2 a view showing in side elevation, a blank from which a conductor embodying my invention may be formed.
- Fig. 3 is a side view of the blank shown in Fig. .2 after an asymmetric conductor has been formed thereon in accordance with my invention.
- Fig. 4 is a view showing one mannerof utilizing an asymmetric conductor embodying 'my invention.
- the blank which is designated by the reference character A, is a plate of an alloy of copper, and may, for example, be commercial soft brass. This plate is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature slightly below its melting point for a period of at least 12 hours, to form a layer of compounds, which is self supporting and is non-adherent to the mother metal.
- the layer of compounds is designated by the reference character A it being understood that this layer will be formed on all surfaces of the plate A but that, as shown in' Fig. 3, the layer has been removed from all parts of the plate except one surface.
- a layer of compounds produced in this manner is an asymmetric conductor of electricity.
- asymmetric conductor I do not mean that no current will pass through the layer in one direction, but I mean that the resistance in one direction is considerably greater than in the other direction.
- This asymmetric conductivity is in a path substantially normalto the surface of the layer which is or was in contact with the mother metal. The high resistance occurs when the surface of the layer of compounds which is or was in contact with the mother metal is positive. That is to say, as viewed in Fig. 3, the resistance to the flow of current from the mother metal A to the layer A will'be greater than the resistance to the flow of current from the layer A to the mother metal A.
- the layer of compounds A being self supporting and non-adherent, it may be removed from the mother metal A and placed between two electrodes B and B as shown in Fig. 4. These electrodes may be of a soft impressionable metal, such for example, as lead.
- the combination shown in Fig. 4 has substantially the same electrical characteristics as the combination shown in Fig. 3, that is to say, assuming that the surface of the layer A which is in contact with the electrode B is the surface which was in contact with the mother -metal, then the combination shown in Fig. 4 will have a higher electrical resistance to the flow of current from electrode 13 to electrode B than from electrode B to the electrode B.
- the layer of compounds produced by oxidizing commercial soft brass has relatively low electrical resistance, and therefore is highly suitable for the rectification of comparatively large currents.
- An asymmetric conductor of electricity comprising a layer of oxides of common brass mounted between two electrodes of soft impressionable metal.
- An asymmetric conductor of electricity comprising a layer of oxides of common brass mounted between two lead electrodes.
- a layer of electro-conductive compounds of brass said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity.
- a layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity in a path substantially normal to the surface which is or was in contact with the mother metal.
- a layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity in a path substantially normal to the surface which is or was in contact with the mother metal.
Description
March 17, 1931. w. R. JAMISON ,3
ASYMMETRIC CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY Filed Jan. 31, 1929 INVENTORZ yy R J'am1s on,
Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WAYNE R. JAMISON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ASYMMETRIC CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY Application filed January 31, 1929.- Serial No. 336,469.
My invention relates to asymmetric conductors of electricity, that is, to conductors which offer relatively low resistance to current flowing in one direction but relatively high resistance to current flowing in the other direction.
I will describe one form of conductor embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. '1 is a View showing a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a view showing in side elevation, a blank from which a conductor embodying my invention may be formed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the blank shown in Fig. .2 after an asymmetric conductor has been formed thereon in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 is a view showing one mannerof utilizing an asymmetric conductor embodying 'my invention.
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views.
Referring first 'to Figs. 1 and 2, the blank, which is designated by the reference character A, is a plate of an alloy of copper, and may, for example, be commercial soft brass. This plate is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature slightly below its melting point for a period of at least 12 hours, to form a layer of compounds, which is self supporting and is non-adherent to the mother metal. Referring to Fig. 3, the layer of compounds is designated by the reference character A it being understood that this layer will be formed on all surfaces of the plate A but that, as shown in' Fig. 3, the layer has been removed from all parts of the plate except one surface.
I have found that a layer of compounds produced in this manner is an asymmetric conductor of electricity. By asymmetric conductor I do not mean that no current will pass through the layer in one direction, but I mean that the resistance in one direction is considerably greater than in the other direction. This asymmetric conductivity is in a path substantially normalto the surface of the layer which is or was in contact with the mother metal. The high resistance occurs when the surface of the layer of compounds which is or was in contact with the mother metal is positive. That is to say, as viewed in Fig. 3, the resistance to the flow of current from the mother metal A to the layer A will'be greater than the resistance to the flow of current from the layer A to the mother metal A.
The layer of compounds A being self supporting and non-adherent, it may be removed from the mother metal A and placed between two electrodes B and B as shown in Fig. 4. These electrodes may be of a soft impressionable metal, such for example, as lead. The combination shown in Fig. 4 has substantially the same electrical characteristics as the combination shown in Fig. 3, that is to say, assuming that the surface of the layer A which is in contact with the electrode B is the surface which was in contact with the mother -metal, then the combination shown in Fig. 4 will have a higher electrical resistance to the flow of current from electrode 13 to electrode B than from electrode B to the electrode B.
When the mother metal is oxidized for a period less than 12 hours, the layer of compounds is so thin that it is not self supporting. I have found that oxidation for a period of 12 to 36 hours is satisfactory,
although there seems to be no reason why the oxidation cannot be continued for a period of more than 36 hours. I
The layer of compounds produced by oxidizing commercial soft brass has relatively low electrical resistance, and therefore is highly suitable for the rectification of comparatively large currents.
When brass is oxidizedfthe most readily oxidizable metal in the brass probably oombines first and difiuses outwardly toward the surface of the brass. As the oxidation progresses, the percentage of this first metal that is present in the alloy decreases, and the other metals are attacked more and more by the oxygen. The result is, that the oxide layer that is first formed has a different constitu-' tion from the oxidized layer that is last, formed, and it is probable that the asymmetric conductivity occurs at one or more internal boundaries between such layers.
Although I have herein shown and described only one form of asymmetric conductor embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:
1. A layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass, said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity.
2. The method of producin an asymmetric conductor of electricity W ich consists in oxidizing common brass at a temperature slightly below its melting point for at least 12 hours.
3. The method of producing an asymmetric conductor of electricity which consists in oxidizing common brass at a temperature slightly below its melting point for at least 12 hours, and cooling the layer of oxides in air at room temperature.
4. An asymmetric conductor of electricity comprising a layer of oxides of common brass mounted between two electrodes of soft impressionable metal. a
5. An asymmetric conductor of electricity comprising a layer of oxides of common brass mounted between two lead electrodes.
6. A layer of electro-conductive compounds of brass, said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity.
7 A layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass to form a self-supporting layer which is non-adherent to the mother metal, said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity in a path substantially normal to the surface which is or was in contact with the mother metal.
8. A layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass, said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity in a path substantially normal to the surface which is or was in contact with the mother metal. K
9. A layer of compounds produced by oxidizing common brass, said layer constituting in and by itself an asymmetric conductor of electricity in a path substantially normal to the surface which is or was in contact with the mother metal.
In testimony whereof I aflix my, signature.
WAYNE R. JAMISON.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US336469A US1796372A (en) | 1929-01-31 | 1929-01-31 | Asymmetric conductor of electricity |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US336469A US1796372A (en) | 1929-01-31 | 1929-01-31 | Asymmetric conductor of electricity |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US1796372A true US1796372A (en) | 1931-03-17 |
Family
ID=23316224
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US336469A Expired - Lifetime US1796372A (en) | 1929-01-31 | 1929-01-31 | Asymmetric conductor of electricity |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US1796372A (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2749489A (en) * | 1950-12-04 | 1956-06-05 | Int Standard Electric Corp | Dry contact rectifiers |
| US2750540A (en) * | 1950-08-17 | 1956-06-12 | Siemens Ag | Selenium rectifiers and their manufacture |
| US2826725A (en) * | 1953-11-10 | 1958-03-11 | Sarkes Tarzian | P-n junction rectifier |
-
1929
- 1929-01-31 US US336469A patent/US1796372A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2750540A (en) * | 1950-08-17 | 1956-06-12 | Siemens Ag | Selenium rectifiers and their manufacture |
| US2749489A (en) * | 1950-12-04 | 1956-06-05 | Int Standard Electric Corp | Dry contact rectifiers |
| US2826725A (en) * | 1953-11-10 | 1958-03-11 | Sarkes Tarzian | P-n junction rectifier |
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