US2488369A - Selenium rectifier - Google Patents

Selenium rectifier Download PDF

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Publication number
US2488369A
US2488369A US514371A US51437143A US2488369A US 2488369 A US2488369 A US 2488369A US 514371 A US514371 A US 514371A US 51437143 A US51437143 A US 51437143A US 2488369 A US2488369 A US 2488369A
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United States
Prior art keywords
selenium
layer
rectifier
cadmium sulphide
sulphide
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
Application number
US514371A
Inventor
Wayne E Blackburn
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.)
CBS Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
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
Priority to NL70500D priority Critical patent/NL70500C/xx
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to US514371A priority patent/US2488369A/en
Priority to GB24520/44A priority patent/GB596585A/en
Priority to CH248334D priority patent/CH248334A/en
Priority to FR988428D priority patent/FR988428A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2488369A publication Critical patent/US2488369A/en
Priority to DEW1630A priority patent/DE884847C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • H01L21/06—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 selenium or tellurium in uncombined form other than as impurities in semiconductor bodies of other materials
    • H01L21/10—Preliminary treatment of the selenium or tellurium, its application to the foundation plate, or the subsequent treatment of the combination
    • H01L21/105—Treatment of the surface of the selenium or tellurium layer after having been made conductive
    • 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
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02367—Substrates
    • H01L21/0237—Materials
    • H01L21/02425—Conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides
    • 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
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02436—Intermediate layers between substrates and deposited layers
    • H01L21/02439—Materials
    • 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
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
    • H01L21/02521—Materials
    • H01L21/02551—Group 12/16 materials
    • H01L21/02557—Sulfides
    • 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
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02612—Formation types
    • H01L21/02617—Deposition types
    • H01L21/02623—Liquid deposition
    • H01L21/02625—Liquid deposition using melted materials
    • 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
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02612—Formation types
    • H01L21/02617—Deposition types
    • H01L21/02631—Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
    • 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
    • H01L21/06—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 selenium or tellurium in uncombined form other than as impurities in semiconductor bodies of other materials
    • H01L21/10—Preliminary treatment of the selenium or tellurium, its application to the foundation plate, or the subsequent treatment of the combination
    • H01L21/108—Provision of discrete insulating layers, i.e. non-genetic barrier layers

Definitions

  • My invention relates to dry-contact rectifiers or light-sensitive devices and particularly to devices of this type which employ a layer of selenium.
  • One object of my invention is to provide a selenium rectifier or light-sensitive device in which the surface of the selenium at which the rectification or photo-electric effect is produced is provided with a boundary layer which insures a high resistance to current flow in the nominally non-conductive direction when an alternating voltage is impressed upon it.
  • a boundary layer which insures a high resistance to current flow in the nominally non-conductive direction when an alternating voltage is impressed upon it.
  • Such a layer may be referred to as a blocking layer.
  • Another object of my invention is to produce on a selenium layer a blocking layer which has a high resistance to current flow in the nominally non-conductive direction but which does not introduce a high resistance to current flow in the nominally conductive direction.
  • Another object of my invention is to provide a selenium layer with a blocking layer which shall not undergo such chemical reaction during the practical use of the device incorporating it that the latter will change its electrical characteristics, or as it is sometimes termed will age, at a deleterious rate in service.
  • Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a top view of a rectifier embodying the principles ofmy invention.
  • the rectifier comprises a base-plate I which may comprise steel which has first been sand-blasted on the surface and thereafter nickel-plated.
  • the plate I thus prepared is preferably provided with a central hole 2 by which it may be mounted upon a spindle provided with means for rapidly rotating it.
  • the plate and spindle while in rotation are dipped into molten selenium and then withdrawn therefrom.
  • the centrifugal force removes all of the selenium except a thin uniform layer 3 from the surface of the plate.
  • the surface of the selenium is coated by evaporation and condensation with cadmium sulphide 4.
  • the coating process may be carried out by heating cadmium sulphide inside an enclosure which is preferably evacuated to a pressure below about /40 of atmospheric. While the unit thus produced may tin. I prefer in accordance with the process described in my copending application Serial No. 509,817, filed November 10, 1943, now Patent No. 2,447,630, to apply the said contact layer first to the cadmium sulphide surface and thereafter to anneal the unit by heating it to the temperature of the order of C. for a suitable period, for example, for a time between six and sixteen hours.
  • the unit rectifier when made in accordance with the process just described, may then be connected to electrical circuits in any of the standard connections for rectifier discs.
  • the method of making a selenium rectifier which comprises coating a base-plate with selenium, depositing a. layer of cadmium sulphide by evaporation on the free surface of the selenium, producing a contact layer on the free surface of the cadmium sulphide and heating the resultant unit to a temperature of the order of 185 C. for a period of at least six hours.
  • An-electrical circuit element comprising a 4 being coated at least in part with a layer'oi' m mm) cadmium.
  • a rectifier comprising a base-plate having The following references are of record in the a coating of selenium with a coating oftgzdmium file of this patent: sulphide on its free surface and a con t layer .on the free surface of the cadmium sulphide. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. .A rectifier comprising a base-plate having Number Name Date a layer of selenium which has a coating of 2,121,603 Lotz June 21, 1938 cadmium sulphide on its free surface, the free 2,193,610 Wilson Mar. 12, 1940 surface of the cadmium sulphide being coated m 2,195,725 Hoppe Apr. 2, 1940 with cadmium. 1 2,221,596 Lorenz Nov. 12, 1940 2,227,827 Dubar Jan. 7, 1941 WAYNE E. BLACKBURN. 2,279,187 Thompson Apr. 7, 1942

Description

NW, 15, 1949 w. E. BLACKBURN &
SELENIUM RECTIFIER Filed Dec. 15, 1943 C 07 jfiaamz'wrz 12 i 4 a 277/0222 z// 7720? m 3 SZQEZ WITNESSES: INVENTOR Wayne 5. Blue/{warn ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1949 SELENIUM RECTIFIER Wayne E. Blackburn, Wilkinsburg, Pa... assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 15, 1943, Serial No. 514,371
9 Claims. (Cl. 175-3.66)
My invention relates to dry-contact rectifiers or light-sensitive devices and particularly to devices of this type which employ a layer of selenium.
One object of my invention is to provide a selenium rectifier or light-sensitive device in which the surface of the selenium at which the rectification or photo-electric effect is produced is provided with a boundary layer which insures a high resistance to current flow in the nominally non-conductive direction when an alternating voltage is impressed upon it. Such a layer may be referred to as a blocking layer.
Another object of my invention is to produce on a selenium layer a blocking layer which has a high resistance to current flow in the nominally non-conductive direction but which does not introduce a high resistance to current flow in the nominally conductive direction.
Another object of my invention is to provide a selenium layer with a blocking layer which shall not undergo such chemical reaction during the practical use of the device incorporating it that the latter will change its electrical characteristics, or as it is sometimes termed will age, at a deleterious rate in service.
Other objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in connection with the drawing in which, Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a top view of a rectifier embodying the principles ofmy invention.
Referring in details to the drawing the rectifier comprises a base-plate I which may comprise steel which has first been sand-blasted on the surface and thereafter nickel-plated. The plate I thus prepared is preferably provided with a central hole 2 by which it may be mounted upon a spindle provided with means for rapidly rotating it. The plate and spindle while in rotation are dipped into molten selenium and then withdrawn therefrom. The centrifugal force removes all of the selenium except a thin uniform layer 3 from the surface of the plate. The surface of the selenium is coated by evaporation and condensation with cadmium sulphide 4. The coating process may be carried out by heating cadmium sulphide inside an enclosure which is preferably evacuated to a pressure below about /40 of atmospheric. While the unit thus produced may tin. I prefer in accordance with the process described in my copending application Serial No. 509,817, filed November 10, 1943, now Patent No. 2,447,630, to apply the said contact layer first to the cadmium sulphide surface and thereafter to anneal the unit by heating it to the temperature of the order of C. for a suitable period, for example, for a time between six and sixteen hours. The unit rectifier, when made in accordance with the process just described, may then be connected to electrical circuits in any of the standard connections for rectifier discs.
While I have described the application to the surface of the selenium as comprising cadmium sulphide, other metallic compounds of the sulphur family may be substituted therefor; for example, mercuric sulphide or potassium sulphide may be substituted.
I claim as my invention:
1. The method of forming a blocking layer on selenium which comprises producing thereon a layer of cadmium sulphide.
2. The method of producing an electric circuit element embodying selenium which comprises forming a surface of selenium and superposing thereon a layer of cadmium sulphide.
3. The method of producing ari electrical circuit element which comprises depositing by evaporation on a surface of amorphous selenium a layer of cadmium sulphide.
4. The method of making a selenium rectifier which comprises coating a base-plate with selenium, depositing a layer of cadmium sulphide by evaporation on the free surface of the selenium producing a contact layer on the free surface of the cadmium sulphide and heating the resultant unit to a temperature of the order of 185 C.
5. The method of making a selenium rectifier which comprises coating a base-plate with selenium, depositing a. layer of cadmium sulphide by evaporation on the free surface of the selenium, producing a contact layer on the free surface of the cadmium sulphide and heating the resultant unit to a temperature of the order of 185 C. for a period of at least six hours.
6. An-electrical circuit element comprising a 4 being coated at least in part with a layer'oi' m mm) cadmium.
8. A rectifier comprising a base-plate having The following references are of record in the a coating of selenium with a coating oftgzdmium file of this patent: sulphide on its free surface and a con t layer .on the free surface of the cadmium sulphide. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. .A rectifier comprising a base-plate having Number Name Date a layer of selenium which has a coating of 2,121,603 Lotz June 21, 1938 cadmium sulphide on its free surface, the free 2,193,610 Wilson Mar. 12, 1940 surface of the cadmium sulphide being coated m 2,195,725 Hoppe Apr. 2, 1940 with cadmium. 1 2,221,596 Lorenz Nov. 12, 1940 2,227,827 Dubar Jan. 7, 1941 WAYNE E. BLACKBURN. 2,279,187 Thompson Apr. 7, 1942
US514371A 1943-12-15 1943-12-15 Selenium rectifier Expired - Lifetime US2488369A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL70500D NL70500C (en) 1943-12-15
US514371A US2488369A (en) 1943-12-15 1943-12-15 Selenium rectifier
GB24520/44A GB596585A (en) 1943-12-15 1944-12-07 Improvements in or relating to selenium rectifiers or light-sensitive devices
CH248334D CH248334A (en) 1943-12-15 1945-10-11 Electrical organ with a selenium layer and method of manufacturing the same.
FR988428D FR988428A (en) 1943-12-15 1947-07-11 Selenium rectifiers
DEW1630A DE884847C (en) 1943-12-15 1950-04-13 Dry contact rectifier or light-sensitive element

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US514371A US2488369A (en) 1943-12-15 1943-12-15 Selenium rectifier

Publications (1)

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US2488369A true US2488369A (en) 1949-11-15

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US514371A Expired - Lifetime US2488369A (en) 1943-12-15 1943-12-15 Selenium rectifier

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US (1) US2488369A (en)
CH (1) CH248334A (en)
DE (1) DE884847C (en)
FR (1) FR988428A (en)
GB (1) GB596585A (en)
NL (1) NL70500C (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2871149A (en) * 1955-05-02 1959-01-27 Sprague Electric Co Semiconductor method
US2886434A (en) * 1955-06-06 1959-05-12 Horizons Inc Protected photoconductive element and method of making same
US3023121A (en) * 1959-08-13 1962-02-27 Robert L Dyar Method of constructing abrasive coated cylinders

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE968580C (en) * 1948-10-02 1958-03-06 Standard Elektrik Ag Process for the manufacture of dry rectifiers
DE973817C (en) * 1951-03-05 1960-06-15 Licentia Gmbh Method of manufacturing a dry rectifier
US2901348A (en) * 1953-03-17 1959-08-25 Haloid Xerox Inc Radiation sensitive photoconductive member
US2853663A (en) * 1954-07-08 1958-09-23 Vickers Inc Power transmission
NL204284A (en) * 1955-02-15
DE1034290B (en) * 1956-02-07 1958-07-17 Zeiss Jena Veb Carl Process for increasing the sensitivity, in particular the ultra-red sensitivity, of selenium barrier cells sensitized for the ultra-red range
DE1090768B (en) * 1957-05-11 1960-10-13 Licentia Gmbh Process for the production of selenium dry rectifiers

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2121603A (en) * 1936-05-30 1938-06-21 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Method of producing selenium rectifiers
US2193610A (en) * 1938-02-17 1940-03-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Selenium contact electrode
US2195725A (en) * 1937-11-01 1940-04-02 Hermes Patentverwertungs Gmbh Method of manufacturing selenium rectifiers
US2221596A (en) * 1938-01-22 1940-11-12 Fides Gmbh Method of manufacturing dry rectifiers
US2227827A (en) * 1938-09-21 1941-01-07 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of devices presenting electrical asymmetric conductivity
US2279187A (en) * 1939-01-11 1942-04-07 Union Switch & Signal Co Alternating electric current rectifier of the selenium type

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB439774A (en) * 1934-03-21 1935-12-13 British Thomson Houston Co Ltd Improvements relating to photo-electric cells and methods of manufacturing the same
BE436627A (en) * 1938-10-24
DE760089C (en) * 1940-04-24 1954-08-16 Siemens Schuckertwerke A G Process for improving the blocking effect of selenium rectifiers
DE640567C (en) * 1966-09-08 1937-01-07 Siemens Schuckertwerke Akt Ges Dry plate rectifier

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2121603A (en) * 1936-05-30 1938-06-21 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Method of producing selenium rectifiers
US2195725A (en) * 1937-11-01 1940-04-02 Hermes Patentverwertungs Gmbh Method of manufacturing selenium rectifiers
US2221596A (en) * 1938-01-22 1940-11-12 Fides Gmbh Method of manufacturing dry rectifiers
US2193610A (en) * 1938-02-17 1940-03-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Selenium contact electrode
US2227827A (en) * 1938-09-21 1941-01-07 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of devices presenting electrical asymmetric conductivity
US2279187A (en) * 1939-01-11 1942-04-07 Union Switch & Signal Co Alternating electric current rectifier of the selenium type

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2871149A (en) * 1955-05-02 1959-01-27 Sprague Electric Co Semiconductor method
US2886434A (en) * 1955-06-06 1959-05-12 Horizons Inc Protected photoconductive element and method of making same
US3023121A (en) * 1959-08-13 1962-02-27 Robert L Dyar Method of constructing abrasive coated cylinders

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR988428A (en) 1951-08-27
DE884847C (en) 1953-07-30
NL70500C (en) 1900-01-01
GB596585A (en) 1948-01-07
CH248334A (en) 1947-04-30

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