Gate-current-controlled plasma-coupled linear pnpn-devices

Plasma in the turn-on pnpn-structur could be contracted into a narrow filament by the turn-off base current, and this filament could be moved over the area of pnpn-structure. This effect was used for moving the plasma filament along a linear structure consisting of a number of pnpn-elements with a common emitter and a thick base. In the structure-"pulse distributor"-the turn-off base current pulses applied between the common base-common emitter contacts permit the plasma filament to be moved from element to element.