Bidirectional transistors and their uses in switching circuits

The paper considers the properties of bidirectional alloy-junction transistors designed to operate in switching circuits. The features desired by circuit engineers and the limitations of present fabrication techniques are outlined. In Section 1 a general survey of the behaviour of the bidirectional transistor as a switch is presented. Details are given of the d.c. and switching characteristics. Some circuits are described and data given based on practical experience with the design of equipments employing large numbers of bidirectional transistors, such as electronic computers and telephone and telegraph exchanges.