Multi-functional electronic switching and current control device comprising a chalcogenide material. The devices include a load terminal, a reference terminal and a control terminal. Application of a control signal to the control terminal permits the device to function in one or more of the following modes reversibly: (1) a gain mode in which gain is induced in the current passing between the load and reference terminals; (2) a conductivity modulation mode in which the conductivity of the chalco…

A method and apparatus for elevating the operating voltage in a fuel cell having a hydrogen electrode with hydrogen storage capacity and/or an oxygen electrode with oxygen storage capacity. The fuel cell is able to sustain the elevated voltage through application of an electrical current to the fuel cell resulting in the charging of the hydrogen electrode and/or the oxygen electrode.

A switching device for an electrical circuit including a semiconductor material and electrodes in contact therewith, wherein the semiconductor material has a high electrical resistance, wherein the high electrical resistance is substantially instantaneously decreased to a low electrical resistance in response to a voltage above a threshold voltage value, wherein the low electrical resistance is immediately returned to the high electrical resistance in response to a decrease in current below a mi…

An optical recording medium comprising one or more recording layers. At least one of the recording layers comprising an optical phase-change memory material, the optical phase-change memory material comprising: an optical phase-change alloy; and at least one modifier element, added to the optical phase-change alloy, that increases the erasability of the optical recording medium by at least 3 dB.

A switching device for an electrical circuit including a semiconductor material and electrodes in contact therewith, wherein the semiconductor material has a high electrical resistance, wherein the high electrical resistance is substantially instantaneously decreased to a low electrical resistance in response to a voltage above a threshold voltage value, wherein the low electrical resistance is immediately returned to the high electrical resistance in response to decrease in current below a mini…

A current switching device for an electrical circuit including a semiconductor material and electrodes in contact therewith, wherein the semiconductor material has a high electrical resistance, wherein the high electrical resistance is substantially instantaneously decreased to a low electrical resistance in response to a voltage above a threshold voltage value, wherein the low electrical resistance is immediately returned to the high electrical resistance in response to a decrease in current be…

A switchable controlling device for an electrical circuit including a semiconductor element and electrodes in low electrical resistance contact therewith, wherein said semiconductor element has a high electrical resistance to provide a blocking condition for substantially blocking current therethrough, wherein the high electrical resistance is substantially instantaneously decreased to a low electrical resistance in response to a voltage above a threshold voltage value, wherein the semiconductor…

A method and apparatus for high speed printout of multiple copies wherein a film or layer of memory semiconductor material is scanned by energy beam means to permanently store therein the information to be reproduced. The film is capable of having discrete portions thereof reversibly altered between a high resistance blocking condition and a low resistance conducting condition, the film normally being in one condition. The film of semiconductor material forms an information storage surface on a …

A process for fabricating synthetic materials by atomic alloying of a host material. Energetic high vapor pressure modifier elements or species are introduced into the host matrix of a fluidic precursor high metling point material so as to obtain an engineered material characterized by a range of controllable optical electrical, thermal, chemical or mechanical properties not exhibited by either the modifier or the precursor material. The method for forming a synthetically engineered material by …

An electrically operated, directly overwritable, multibit, single-cell chalcogenide memory element with multibit storage capabilities and having at least one contact for supplying electrical input signals to set the memory element to a selected resistance value, the second contact tapering to a peak adjacent to the memory element. In this manner the tapered contact helps define the size and position of a conduction path through the memory element.