US2496692A - Selenium rectifier - Google Patents

Selenium rectifier Download PDF

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Publication number
US2496692A
US2496692A US735883A US73588347A US2496692A US 2496692 A US2496692 A US 2496692A US 735883 A US735883 A US 735883A US 73588347 A US73588347 A US 73588347A US 2496692 A US2496692 A US 2496692A
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Prior art keywords
selenium
cadmium
rectifier
gallium
alloy
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Expired - Lifetime
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US735883A
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Wayne E Blackburn
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CBS Corp
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Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Publication date
Priority to FR963374D priority Critical patent/FR963374A/fr
Priority to BE481153D priority patent/BE481153A/xx
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to US735883A priority patent/US2496692A/en
Priority to GB2695/48A priority patent/GB632135A/en
Priority to US34043A priority patent/US2498240A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2496692A publication Critical patent/US2496692A/en
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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
    • H01L21/108—Provision of discrete insulating layers, i.e. non-genetic barrier layers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
    • G01S7/02—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S13/00
    • G01S7/04—Display arrangements

Definitions

  • My invention relates to selenium rectifiers and. in particular, to a counter-electrode which produces an improved barrier layer. or rectifying interface in such rectifiers. It is based on the discovery that an improved rectifying ratio atv a surface of selenium, or particularly a seleniumcadmium sulphide surface, is obtained by employing a counter-electrode of cadmium, or cadmium, or cadmium-tin, to which have been made small'additions of gallium, boron. cerium selenlde, columbium oxide or a metal from the alkali or alkaline-earth groups.
  • One object of my invention is, accordingly. to produce an improved selenium rectifier.
  • Another object of my invention is to produce a dry-contact type rectifier having a better rectification layer than rectifiers of the prior art.
  • Still another object of my invention is to provide a dry-contact ty'pe rectifier of the type employing selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide with a counter-electrode which improves the barrier layer of the rectifier.
  • a yet further object of my invention is to provide an improved type of counter-electrode for rectiflers of the selenium type.
  • Figure 1 is a mid-section and Fig. 2 a top view of a rectifier embodying the principles ofmy invention.
  • a rectifier in accordance with my invention may be produced by employing a backing plate I of steel. which may have a central'hole 2 and which has preferably been sand-blasted and nickel-plated.
  • This plate is coated with a layer I of amorphous selenium by dipping it in a molten bath of selenium and throwing off the excess thereof by centrifugal force.
  • the free surface of the selenium is then coated by evaporation and condensation with a thin layer 4 of cadmium sulphide. This procedure may be carried out as described in more detail in my copending application, Serial No. 514,371, filed December 15, 1948.
  • the unit thus produced may then be annealed at a temperature of 185 C., and the counter-electrode 5 then applied by Bchoop-spraying or other suitable process known in the art. While I have described the selenium as coated with cadmium sulphide before the application of this counterelectrode, for certain purposes it may be suitable to omit the coating with cadmium sulphide. Furthermore, it is within the scope of my invention to apply the counter-electrode before carry- 5 2 ing out the annealing process mentioned above.
  • the counter-electrode is formed from an alloy or aggregate comprising substantially parts cadmium, 30 parts tin, with the addition of a small amount, about 1 part of one or more substances from the following group: an alkali or alkaline-earth metal, gallium. boron, cerium selenlde and columbium oxide.
  • gallium is particularly desirable in cases where the counter-electrode is applied before the heat treatment above mentioned is given, inasmuch as this treatment does not cause tarnishing oi the alloy containing gallium.
  • a rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide and an alloy containing cadmium, tin and galum.
  • a rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide and an alloy of substantially '10 partscadmium, 30 parts tin and up to one part of gallium.
  • a rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium and an alloy containing cadmium, tin and gallium.
  • a rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium and an alloy of substantially '70 parts cadmium, 30 parts tin and about one part of gallium.
  • An electrical circuit element comprising selenium in contactwith an alloy of cadmium combined with about 1 of gallium.
  • An electrical circuit element comprising selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide in contact with an alloy of cadmium combined with about 1% of gallium.
  • An electrical circuit element comprising selenium in contact with an alloy of cadmium-tin .combined with about 1 of gallium.
  • An electrical circuit element comprising selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide in contact with an alloy of cadmium tin combined with about 1% gallium.

Description

Feb 7, 1950 w. E. BLACKBURN 5,
SELENIUM RECTIFIER Filed March 20, 1947 Cadmium- W'n Ga Ilium Cadmium Su lph ide Selenium feel WITNESSES: INVENTOR Wayne E. Blackburn KW V W1 72% W BY Patented Feb. 7, 1950 SELENIUM RECTIFIER Wayne E. Blackburn, Hollywood, Calif., assignor Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh. Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 20, 1947, Serial No. 735,883
8 Claims.
My invention relates to selenium rectifiers and. in particular, to a counter-electrode which produces an improved barrier layer. or rectifying interface in such rectifiers. It is based on the discovery that an improved rectifying ratio atv a surface of selenium, or particularly a seleniumcadmium sulphide surface, is obtained by employing a counter-electrode of cadmium, or cadmium, or cadmium-tin, to which have been made small'additions of gallium, boron. cerium selenlde, columbium oxide or a metal from the alkali or alkaline-earth groups.
One object of my invention is, accordingly. to produce an improved selenium rectifier.
Another object of my invention is to produce a dry-contact type rectifier having a better rectification layer than rectifiers of the prior art.
Still another object of my invention is to provide a dry-contact ty'pe rectifier of the type employing selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide with a counter-electrode which improves the barrier layer of the rectifier.
A yet further object of my invention is to provide an improved type of counter-electrode for rectiflers of the selenium type.
Other objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in connection with the drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a mid-section and Fig. 2 a top view of a rectifier embodying the principles ofmy invention.
Referring in detail to Figs. 1 and 2, a rectifier in accordance with my invention may be produced by employing a backing plate I of steel. which may have a central'hole 2 and which has preferably been sand-blasted and nickel-plated. This plate is coated with a layer I of amorphous selenium by dipping it in a molten bath of selenium and throwing off the excess thereof by centrifugal force. The free surface of the selenium is then coated by evaporation and condensation with a thin layer 4 of cadmium sulphide. This procedure may be carried out as described in more detail in my copending application, Serial No. 514,371, filed December 15, 1948.
The unit thus produced may then be annealed at a temperature of 185 C., and the counter-electrode 5 then applied by Bchoop-spraying or other suitable process known in the art. While I have described the selenium as coated with cadmium sulphide before the application of this counterelectrode, for certain purposes it may be suitable to omit the coating with cadmium sulphide. Furthermore, it is within the scope of my invention to apply the counter-electrode before carry- 5 2 ing out the annealing process mentioned above.
The counter-electrode is formed from an alloy or aggregate comprising substantially parts cadmium, 30 parts tin, with the addition of a small amount, about 1 part of one or more substances from the following group: an alkali or alkaline-earth metal, gallium. boron, cerium selenlde and columbium oxide.
Of the addition agents just listed, I have found gallium to be particularly desirable in cases where the counter-electrode is applied before the heat treatment above mentioned is given, inasmuch as this treatment does not cause tarnishing oi the alloy containing gallium.
I claim as my invention:
1. A rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide and an alloy containing cadmium, tin and galum.
2. A rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide and an alloy of substantially '10 partscadmium, 30 parts tin and up to one part of gallium.
3. A rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium and an alloy containing cadmium, tin and gallium.
4. A rectifier comprising a barrier layer between selenium and an alloy of substantially '70 parts cadmium, 30 parts tin and about one part of gallium.
5. An electrical circuit element comprising selenium in contactwith an alloy of cadmium combined with about 1 of gallium.
6. An electrical circuit element comprising selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide in contact with an alloy of cadmium combined with about 1% of gallium.
I. An electrical circuit element comprising selenium in contact with an alloy of cadmium-tin .combined with about 1 of gallium.
8. An electrical circuit element comprising selenium surfaced with cadmium sulphide in contact with an alloy of cadmium tin combined with about 1% gallium.
WAYNE E. BLACKBURN.
REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wilson Mar. 12, mo
Number
US735883A 1947-03-20 1947-03-20 Selenium rectifier Expired - Lifetime US2496692A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR963374D FR963374A (en) 1947-03-20
BE481153D BE481153A (en) 1947-03-20
US735883A US2496692A (en) 1947-03-20 1947-03-20 Selenium rectifier
GB2695/48A GB632135A (en) 1947-03-20 1948-01-29 Improvements in or relating to selenium rectifiers
US34043A US2498240A (en) 1947-03-20 1948-06-19 Selenium rectifier

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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US735883A US2496692A (en) 1947-03-20 1947-03-20 Selenium rectifier

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2750540A (en) * 1950-08-17 1956-06-12 Siemens Ag Selenium rectifiers and their manufacture
US2858239A (en) * 1956-03-13 1958-10-28 Siemens Ag Method for producing selenium rectifiers
US2881371A (en) * 1957-05-23 1959-04-07 Vickers Inc Power transmission
US3127545A (en) * 1960-12-23 1964-03-31 Gen Telephone & Elect Rectifier
US3186879A (en) * 1959-07-24 1965-06-01 Philco Corp Semiconductor devices utilizing cadmium alloy regions

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2193610A (en) * 1938-02-17 1940-03-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Selenium contact electrode

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2193610A (en) * 1938-02-17 1940-03-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Selenium contact electrode

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2750540A (en) * 1950-08-17 1956-06-12 Siemens Ag Selenium rectifiers and their manufacture
US2858239A (en) * 1956-03-13 1958-10-28 Siemens Ag Method for producing selenium rectifiers
US2881371A (en) * 1957-05-23 1959-04-07 Vickers Inc Power transmission
US3186879A (en) * 1959-07-24 1965-06-01 Philco Corp Semiconductor devices utilizing cadmium alloy regions
US3127545A (en) * 1960-12-23 1964-03-31 Gen Telephone & Elect Rectifier

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