Polaronic semiconductor devices

Abstract

Abstract DEVICES WHEREIN HIGH ELECTRIC FIELDS ARE APPLIED TO LOW CONDUCTIVITY CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS WHERE THE MAJOR MODE OF CONDUCTION IS BY HOPPING OF LOCALIZED SMALL POLARONS. MOBILITY INCREASES WITH FIELD UP TO A THRESHOLD FIELD WHRE DELOCALIZATION OF THE SMALL POLARON OCCURS, MOBILITY INCREASES DISCONTINUOUSLY BY A FEW ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE, AND THE CONDUCTION MODE IS IN POLARONIC BAND. TYPICAL MATERIALS INCLUDE SPINEL CO1+XCR2-XO4, CO1-XLIXO, AND NI1+XMN2-XO4 AND OTHER OXIDES, SULPHIDES, SELENIDES, AND TELLURIDES OF CHROMIUM, MAGANESE, IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, COPPER, OTHER TRANSITION METALS, AND ELEMENTS 22-29, 39-42, 57-75, AND 89-92. I-V CHARACTERISTICS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED BY D-C AND A-C AT 60 HZ. AND BY REPETITIVE PULSING AT LOW REPETITION RATES. THICK SPECIMENS WERE USED (.01 TO .10 MM.) TO ASSURE THE BULK NATURE OF THE TRANSITION. THE INSTABILITY CONSISTS OF A TRANSITON FROM A NON-OHMIC LOW CONDUCTIVITY STATE AT LOW FIELDS TO A HIGH CONDUCTIVITY STATE WHEN A BREAKDOWN FIELD IS ATTAINED. THE HIGH CONDUCTIVITY IS SUSTAINED UNTIL THE FIELD IS LOWERED BELOW A MINIMUM FIELD AT WHICH THE LOW CONDUCTIVITY STATE IS RESTORED.

Inventors

• 👤 Aharon Zeev Hed
• 👤 Paul J Freud

Bibliographic Details