Pressure-sensitive semiconductor device of the transistor type

Claim 1

A PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMPRISING: A SEMICONDUCTOR BODY HAVING THREE REGIONS FORMING TWO P-N JUNCTIONS AND FUNCTIONING AS EMITTER, BASE AND COLLECTOR, RESPECTIVELY, AND PROVIDING A COLLECTOR CURRENT AT ITS COLLECTOR IN OPERATION; AN EMITTER ELECTRODE OF SUBSTANTIALLY TEAR-DROP CONFIGURATION COMING TO A SUBSTANTIAL POINT IN CONTACT WITH THE SEMICONDUCTOR BODY IN THE EMITTER REGION THEREOF; A BASE ELECTRODE OF SUBSTANTIALLY TEAR-DROP CONFIGURATION COMING TO A SUBSTANTIAL POINT IN CONTACT WITH THE SEMICONDUCTOR BODY IN THE BASE REGION THEREOF, SAID BASE ELECTRODE AND SAID EMITTER ELECTRODE BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER WITH THE POINT OF EACH FACING THE POINT OF THE OTHER ON THE SURFACE OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR BODY AND FORMING BETWEEN THEM A SURFACE AREA OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR BODY OF HIGHER CURRENT DENSITY THAN THE ADJACENT SURFACE AREAS OF THE SAID SEMICONDUCTOR BODY; AND PRESSURE MEANS IN CONTACT WITH SAID EMITTER ELECTRODE IN PROXIMITY WITH SAID SURFACE AREA OF HIGHER CURRENT DENSITY FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SAID EMITTER ELECTRODE TO VARY THE COLLECTOR CURRENT PROVIDED IN OPERATION.