D.C. Characteristics of Silicon and Germanium Point Contact Crystal Rectifiers. Part I. Experimental

Abstract

Typical d.c. current‐voltage characteristics obtained for Si and Ge crystal rectifiers are described. A survey of the published theories of the rectifier shows that none of them will account for the principal features of the observed characteristics. The most obvious discrepancy is in the low resistance direction of flow where the logarithm of the current rises with increasing voltage at only a fraction of the rate indicated by the theories. The need for a more flexible theory is pointed out and the conditions which it must meet, both as a function of voltage and temperature are outlined.