Solid state switching device

Claim 2

A THERNARY GLASS COMPOSITION COMPRISING ANTIMONY, SULFUR AND IODINE IN AN AMOUNT FALLING WITHIN THE SHADED AREAS A, B AND C OF FIGURE 1 IN THE DRAWING.

Claim 3

A SOLID STATE SWITCHING DEVICE WHICH, WHEN SEMICONDUCTIVE, IS CAPABLE OF SWITCHING FROM A CHARACTERISTIC HIGH RESISTANCE STATE TO A CHARACTERISTIC LOW RESISTANCE STATE IN RESPONSE TO A DOWNSWITHC ELECTRIC FIELD PULSE AND FURTHER CAPABLE OF SWITCHING FROM SAID LOW RESISTANCE STASTE TO SAID HIGH RESISTANCE STATE IN RESPONSE TO AN UPSWITCH ELECTRIC FIELD PULSE, SAID DOWNSWITCH PULSE BEING LARGER THAN SAID UPSWITCH ELECTRIC FIELD PULSE, SAID HIGH RESISTANCE STATE BEING AT LEAST ABOUT ONE ORDER IN MAGNITUDE GREATER THAN SAID LOW RESISTANCE STATE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A WAFER OF A GLASS COMPOSITION AS DEFINED IN CLAIM 1; (B) TWO ELECTRODES EACH ONE FUNCTIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFERENT SURFACE REGION OF SAID WAFER; (C) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID WAFER AND EACH OF SAID ELECTRODES, RESPECTIVELY, BEING SUCH THAT: (1) SAID WAFER HAD A CHARACTERISTIC INITIAL RESISTANCE STATE MEASUREDD THROUGHS SAID ELECTRODES GREATER THAN SAID CHARACTERISTICS HIGH RESISTANCE STATE; AND (2) WHEN A SUFFICIENT MINIMUM ELECTRIC FIELD IS APPLIED TO SAID WAFER THROUGH SAID ELECTRODES SAID WAFER BECOMES SEMICONDUCTOVE AS INDICATED BY A CHANGE FROM SAID CHARACTERISTIC INITIAL RESISTANCE STATE TO SAID CHARACTERISTIC LOW RESISTANCE STATE.