Cuprous Oxide Rectifier Characteristics

Using a substitution bridge method, the current voltage and reverse capacitance voltage characteristics of a cuprous oxide rectifier have been obtained at 0°C, 30°C and 70°C. The capacitance characteristic is found to be temperature independent in the above range. The assumption of a Schottky barrier (or an allied class of barriers) is not in agreement with the experimental results. Using the capacitance characteristic and a single adjusted value of the dielectric constant of cuprous oxide, it is found possible, with only one temperature dependent parameter, to predict theoretical reverse current voltage relations in good agreement with experiment.