Symmetrical current controlling device

• US 3,271,591 A
• Filed: 09/20/1963
• Issued: 09/06/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanford R. Ovshinsky
• Original Assignee: Stanford R. Ovshinsky
• Inventors: Ovshinsky, Stanford R.
• Application Number:
  US04/310,407
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• US Class Current: 327/500
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/705 Compositions containing chalcogenides, metals or alloys thereof, as photosensitive substances, e.g. photodope systems used as photoresist G03F7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/243 comprising inorganic materials only, e.g. ablative layers
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/56 by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices using diodes H03K17/74
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/20 Multistable switching devices, e.g. memristors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/231 based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/253 having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistor-like devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8822 Sulfides, e.g. CuS
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8825 Selenides, e.g. GeSe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8828 Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8833 Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 420/903 Semiconductive

Claims

1. A SYMMETRICAL CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INCLUDING A MECHANISM TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS AND ELECTRODES IN NON-RECTIFYING CONTACT THEREWITH FOR CONNECTING THE SAME IN SERIES IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS BEING OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A FIRST CONDITION OF RELATIVELY HIGH RESISTANCE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY BLOCKING CURRENT THERETHROUGH BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY IN EACH DIRECTION, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A VOLTAGE OF AT LEAST A THRESHOLD VALUE IN EITHER DIRECTION OR ALTERNATELY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS APPLIED TO SAID ELECTRODES FOR ALTERING SAID FIRST CONDITION OF RELATIVELY HIGH RESISTANCE OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUSLY PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE PATH THROUGH SAID-CONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES HAVING A SECOND CONDITION OF RELATIVELY LOW RESISTANCE FOR CONDUCTING CURRENT THERETHROUGH BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY IN EACH DIRECTION, SAID MAINTAINING SAID AT LEAST ONE PATH OF CLUDING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID AT LEAST ONE PATH OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS IN ITS SAID SECOND RELATIVELY LOW RESISTANCE CONDUCTING CONDITION AND PROVIDING