Solid state electron multiplier including reverse-biased, dissimilar semiconductor layers

Claim 1

AN ELECTRON MULTIPLIER OPERATIVE WITH INCIDENT ELECTRONS COMPRISING, A FIRST LAYER COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL TRANSMISSIVE TO IRRADIATING ELECTRONS, A SECOND LAYER COMPRISING A SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OF ONE TYPE OF SEMICONDUCTIVELY, SAID SECOND LAYER BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID FIRST LAYER, SAID SECOND LAYER PRODUCING A COPIOUS NUMBER OF ELECTRON-HOLE PAIRS IN RESPONSE TO EACH INCIDENT ELECTRON PENETRATING SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTIVE LAYER, A THIRD LAYER COMPRISING A SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OF ANOTHER TYPE OF SEMICONDUCTIVITY FROM SAID SECOND LAYER, SAID THIRD LAYER BEING ADJACENT SAID SECOND LAYER AND FORMING A P-N JUNCTION THEREWITH, THE ELECTRON-HOLE PAIRS BEING SEPARATED AT SAID P-N JUNCTION, AND BIASING MEANS TO REVERSE BIAS SAID P-N JUNCTION SO THAT THE SEPARATED ELECTRONS MAY PASS THROUGH SAID THIRD LAYER.