Timeline for How exactly does a point-contact razor blade diode work?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2016 at 16:43 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackElectronix/status/765227451228295169 | ||
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:32 | comment | added | Chris Stratton | Anyone want to tackle explaining the graphite pencil? | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:24 | vote | accept | Ten Bitcomb | ||
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:21 | comment | added | Transistor | @Ravenstine: Sorry if I brusque. Your question is actually more nuanced than many of the "please do a web search for me or write me an article to save me looking it up" type of questions and I didn't pick up on it. I think Chris is doing a good job below. | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:17 | answer | added | Chris Stratton | timeline score: 5 | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:17 | comment | added | Ten Bitcomb | @Transistor The most specific that page gets, unless I'm missing something, is "The oxide layers that form on many ordinary metal surfaces have semiconducting properties[...]" Even its reference doesn't go much further in reference to that kind of material. I was hoping for something a bit more specific. So, can I assume that the whisker is the P-type conductor and the oxide layer is the N-type conductor and together can form a poor diode? But like Christ Stratton suggests, I had a feeling the answer might not have necessarily been that simple, especially since the whisker material varies. | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:10 | comment | added | Chris Stratton | It's actually an interesting question if this is a junction between two semiconductors, or between a semiconductor and a metal that might be considered a primitive Schottky diode, ie en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schottky_barrier Given the need to manually adjust in search of a region and contact pressure with the right properties, it's even possible the answer is not consistent. | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 19:04 | comment | added | Scott Seidman | @Transistor That just says something like metal oxides have semiconductor properties - pretty unsatisfying. | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 18:58 | comment | added | Transistor | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%27s-whisker_detector [Edited by a moderator.] | |
| Aug 14, 2016 at 18:54 | history | asked | Ten Bitcomb | CC BY-SA 3.0 |