Ceramic rectifiers fabricated by carrier-assisted diffusion

It has been discovered that ceramic barrier layer devices fabricated by diffusion of CuO into the grain boundaries of Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/-doped (Ba/sub 0.8/Sr/sub 0.2/) (Ti/sub 0.9/Sn/sub 0.1/)O/sub 3/ semiconducting substrates, using Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3//Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/ liquid phase as a carrier, possess rectifying properties. The faster motion of Li/sup +/ under capillary and gravity forces and its diffusion into the grains as a p-type dopant are considered to be the source of the rectifying property. Larger grain size n-type semiconducting ceramic substrates can be fabricated by sintering the pressed ceramic disks in 2%H/sub 2//98%N/sub 2/ atmosphere for four hours.<
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