Parallel connected two-terminal semiconductor devices of different negative resistance characteristics

Claim 1

A TWO-TERMINAL NETWORK EFFECTIVE WHEN SUPPLIED WITH INCREASING CURRENT TO SWITCH FROM A RELATIVELY HIGH IMPEDANCE CONDITION TO A RELATIVELY LOW IMPEDANCE CONDITION AT A PREDETERMINED, STABLY MAINTAINED THRESHOLD VALUE OF CURRENT, COMPRISING: (A) A SEMICONDUCTOR BODY INCLUDING A CONDUCTIVE PATH COMPRISING IN SERIES FOUR NON-DEGENERATE REGIONS OF ALTERNATELY OPPOSITE CONDUTIVITY TYPES, EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT REGIONS BEING SEPARATED BY A BOUNDARY JUNCTION; (B) TWO TERMINALS; (C) MEANS CONNECTING THE TWO REGIONS AT THE ENDS OF MEANS CONNECTING THE TWO REGIONS AT THE ENDS OF (D) AN ESAKI DIODE COMPRISING TWO ADJACENT DEGENERATE REGIONS OF CONDUCTIVITY TYPES RESPECTIVELY CORRESPONDING TO THE CONDUCTIVITY TYPES OF ONE OF SAID END REGIONS AND THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID FOUR REGIONS; (E) MEANS CONNECTING THE TWO REGIONS OF SAID DIODE DIRECTLY TO SAID TWO REGIONS OF SAID DIODE ESAKI DIODE HAVING A CURRENT-POTENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC INCLUDING A NEGATIVE RESISTANCE REGION AND HAVING A PEAK CURRENT AT THE LOW POTENTIAL END OF THE NEGATIVE RESISTANCE REGION, THE PEAK CURRENT OF SAID ESAKI DIODE BEING EFFECTIVE TO DETERMINE THE THRESHOLD VALUE OF CURRENT AT WHICH THE UNIT SWITCHES FROM ITS LOW IMPEDANCE CONDITION TO ITS HIGH IMPEDANCE CONDITION.