Halbleiter-Signaluebertragungseinrichtung

753,514. Semiconductor devices. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO., Inc. Oct. 28, 1953 [Oct. 31, 1952], No. 29789/53. Class 37. [Also in Group XL (c)] A signal translating circuit comprises a semiconductor body of one conductivity type having source and drain electrodes, a reverse biased rectifying junction in contact with the body, means to vary the potential across the junction to vary the current through the load which is connected to the drain, and means adjacent the drain for enhancing minority carrier flow from the drain to the gate. Reference is made to Specification 748,487 which describes a unipolar transistor (Fig. 1), wherein a majority carrier current flows in N-type semiconductor body 11 from ohmic source electrode S to. ohmic drain electrode D, this current being controlled by varying the potential of gate electrode G consisting of two P-type portions 12, the PN junction being reverse biased. The drain bias is substantially greater than the source bias. A minority carrier current also flows from the drain D to the gate G, and according to the invention this flow is enhanced. The minority current flow is proportional to the majority current flow, and therefore variation of the gate potential results in a change in the gate current in opposite sense to provide a negative resistance effect. An oscillator circuit (Fig. 5, not shown) may then be provided by including a tuned circuit in the gate lead, and signals may also be applied to the source electrode to provide an oscillator-mixer circuit. Alternatively, if a resistance is connected between the gate and source electrodes, the arrangement provides a two stable state trigger circuit (Fig. 6, not shown). The minority carrier flow from the drain to the gate electrode may be enhanced by providing a region of material having low carrier lifetime adjacent the drain electrode which corresponds to a high rate of thermal generation; this may be achieved by using a solder of antimony and tin, by diffusing nickel into the semiconductor body, by creating imperfections such as by sandblasting or electron bombardment of body surface, or by using rhodium plating for the drain electrode. Since the mechanism involves minority carrier generation, the device is sensitive to temperature and light variation and may be used to monitor, measure or control temperature and illumination. Alternatively the minority current may be increased by providing a forward biased rectifying contact (point contact or PN junction) to inject minor