Germanium PNPN Thyratron

This note describes a germanium PNPN switching device with thyratron-like characteristics. Unlike other four-layer switching devices described recently in the literature, this device does not rely on alpha-variation for switching. Its alpha is essentially constant and large enough to make the device regenerative. The device is normally biased “off” and it may be switched “on” by a signal which momentarily overcomes the bias.