Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
44 words
A switching device, comprising a pair of electrodes, and an insulating zone and a conductive or semiconductive zone that are provided between said electrodes, whereby an electric circuit is switched from the switched-off state to the switched-on state by the irradiation of electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
44 words
A switching device, comprising a pair of electrodes, and an insulating zone and a conductive or semiconductive zone that are provided between said electrodes, whereby an electric circuit is switched from the switched-off state to the switched-on state by the irradiation of electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said insulating zone and conductive or semiconductive zone are respectively formed of micro-zones, and the respective micro-zones are present in a mixed state.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said conductive or semiconductive zone is formed of micro-zones, and said miicro-zones are dispersedly present in said insulating zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said conductive or semiconductive zone is separated from said electrodes by said insulating zone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A switching device according to any preceding claim, wherein said insulating zone and conductive or semiconductive zone are respectively formed by an insulating thin film and a conductive or semiconductive thin film to have a laminated structural body in which said insulating thin film and conductive or semiconductive thin film are alternately laminated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A switching device according to claim 5, wherein the films are laminated in a direction normal to the surfaces of the electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A switching device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said insulating thin film has a film thickness of from 10 Å to 500 Å.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A switching device according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein said conductive or semiconductive thin film has a film thickness of from 5 Å to 500 Å.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A switching device according to any preceding claim, wherein said insulating zone comprises a monomolecular film or a monomolecular built-up film.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A switching device according to claim 9, wherein said monomolecular film or monomolecular built-up film is an insulating thin film formed by an LB process.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
A switching device according to claim 10, wherein said insulating thin film comprises a film formed by an LB process with use of a compound having the π-electron level, a polymeric compound or a fatty acid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A switching device according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said insulating zone comprises an insulating thin film followed by a glow discharge process.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A switching device according to claim 12, wherein said insulating thin film comprises a film formed with an oxide or nitride by a glow discharge process.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A switching device according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said insulating zone comprises a film obtained by oxidizing a conductive film.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
A switching device according to any preceding claim, wherein said conductive or semiconductive zone comprises a conductive or semiconductive thin film formed by vacuum vapor deposition, a cluster ion beam process, a CVD process, a plasma polymerization process, an MBE process, or sputtering process.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
A switching device according to claim 15, wherein said conductive or semiconductive thin film comprises a film made of a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ag, Zn, Sn and Pb or an alloy thereof, As₂Se₃, CdS, ZnO, GaAs or Si including single crystal silicon, polysilicon or amorphous silicon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
57 words
A switching process, comprising applying a voltage to a switching device comprising a pair of electrodes, and a laminated structural body in which an insulating thin film and a conductive or semiconductive thin film are alternately laminated between said electrodes in the direction vertical to the surfaces of said electrodes; and irradiating light under such a state.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
A switching process, comprising applying a voltage to a switching device comprising a pair of electrodes, and a laminated structural body in which an insulating thin film and a conductive or semiconductive thin film are alternately laminated between said electrodes in the direction vertical to the surfaces of said electrodes; and irradiating light under such a state.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A switching process according to claim 17, wherein the irradiation/non-irradiaiton of light is repeated under the state that the voltage has been applied to said switching device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
A switching process according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said insulating thin film is formed by an LB process or a glow discharge process, or formed by oxidizing a conductive film.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
A switching process according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein said conductive or semiconductive thin film is formed by a vacuum vapor deposition process, a cluster ion beam process, a CVD process, a plasma polymerization process, an MBE process, or a sputtering process.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A switching process according to any of claims 16 to 20, wherein said voltage is the threshold voltage or higher which causes switching by irradiation of light.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
42 words
A switching device which can be switched from an off-state to an on-state by irradiation with electromagnetic radiation, characterised in that it comprises a pair of electrodes with at least one insulating layer and at least one conductive or semiconductive layer therebetween.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
A switching device which can be switched from an off-state to an on-state by irradiation with electromagnetic radiation, characterised in that it comprises a pair of electrodes with at least one insulating layer and at least one conductive or semiconductive layer therebetween.