Field switching device employing punchthrough phenomenon

Claim 1

AN ISOLATION DEVICE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A SEMICONDUCTOR TETRODE COMPRISED OF A BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING A CONSTRICTED REGION OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE WITHIN SAID BODY AND TWO OPPOSED REGIONS OF THE OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE FORMING JUNCTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CONSTRICTED REGION, SEPARATE GATE CONTACTS TO SAID OPPOSED REGIONS, INPUT CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID GATE CONTACTS AND INCLUDING A SIGNAL SOURCE FOR APPLYING INPUT SIGNAL VOLTAGES BETWEEN SAID GATE CONTACTS, CONNECTIONS TO SAID CONSTRICTED REGION, AND OUTPUT CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONNECTIONS AND INCLUDING A CURRENT SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING CURRENT THROUGH SAID CONSTRICTED REGION WHICH CURRENT IS A FUNCTION OF THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE APPLIED TO SAID CONTACTS AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL APPLIED TO SAID CONNECTIONS, SAID INPUT CIRCUIT MEANS AND SAID OUTPUT CIRCUIT MEANS HAVING NO MUTUAL CONNECTION AND SO BEING ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER.