3 ms·

Homemade Diodes Tips/Ideas?

peter_d_sherman 4y ago
I have often wondered if it were possible to create a homemade diode -- out of nothing more than aluminum foil... I'm guessing (but not knowing!) that this could be done as follows: 1) Take two pieces of aluminum foil. 2) Roll one of them into a pyramid or cone of some sort... Whatever shape it is made into, it needs to taper to a sharp point at the end, much like a pyramid or cone... 3) Take the other piece of aluminum foil and coat it with an oxide layer. Basically burn it -- but don't melt it! 4) Now take the conic/pyramid shaped piece of foil and "point it" (for lack of a better term!) at the oxide layer on the other piece of foil, similar to a "cat's whisker" diode (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_detector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_detector , https://rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/razor_blade_diode_for_crystal_foxhole_radio.htm https://rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/razor_blade...) 5) Spacing (pressure) is very important! If the point is a micrometer too close or too far away -- it might not work! The casual observer would think that a "cat's whisker" diode has a direct connection between the surfaces -- but I would think that there's at least a little bit of capacitance (space) there -- determined by the pressure! So, would it work? ? I don't know! I don't currently have a multimeter to test the idea! But, I think it would be tremendously interesting if someone could create a working semiconductor (in this case a diode!) out of easy-to-find household items! (Yes, I know the "cat's whisker" works -- but I'm talking about still other items -- the reason for this is to understand semiconductors better -- in other words, there's more to the "P-N junction" theory than is taught -- since early diodes (tubes and other devices) DID NOT use doped semiconductors to obtain this electrical effect!) So, the thread submitted above, on the Raspberry Pi forums -- is about some other ways to make diodes... Anybody have any other ideas on how to make semiconductors using non-traditional semiconductor materials? ?
mkarliner 4y ago
Err, what's wrong with a lump of Galena? The old cat's whisker?
- peter_d_sherman 4y ago
  Here's my question: WHY does a diode work the way it does? ? That is, WHY is there a one-way flow of electricity? ? Can you explain to me WHY that is, without talking about P-N layers, doping, semiconductors, etc.? You see, I've read pretty much all of the standard explanations for why diodes work the way they do -- but each one of them leaves me scratching my head, saying that "there must be a simpler/more universal/"first principles" understanding about this phenomena -- then what is currently being taught. I want to discover what that is! But we'll never discover what that is as long as we accept standard pat answers to this question... like "it's a bunch of electrons" and "the electrons go one way in this configuration", etc., etc. Those explanations don't seem to give the best understanding to me, at this point in time... We could model the one-way flow of electricity using "minature Elves", "miniature Pixies" (instead of electrons!) -- and all of the math equations would work right (1 electron = 1 Pixie!) -- but it wouldn't leave us any more intelligent about what's really "going on down there" -- reasoning in this way would would make us all dumber -- and it does! Show me the one-way phenomena using a series of physical systems (not just electricity!), then generalize the principle, then show how that principle applies also to electricity and electricial phenomena, then show some experiments that prove this -- and then and only then might I accept that explanation! Until then, I search for a deeper understanding of the one-way electrical phenomena of diodes... The current explanations given -- are not sufficient! A good generalized principle of "one-wayed-ness" (for lack of a better term!) in electricity -- would compare all known one-wayed phenomena in magnetism (show me a one-way magnet!), waves, optics, RF, physical systems, etc., etc. That is, all one-wayed phenomena in physics... Take all of those, extract the general unified principle which causes all of them -- then go back and prove that that's what's happening with electricity in the case of diodes... If someone can do all of that, then I might be persuaded to believe that principle/theory... But not until! Electrons and P-N junctions (if they are even true descriptions!) describe effect... they do not describe cause(!) -- and that's if electrons (as minature particles -- as opposed to other physical phenomena, i.e., waves, fields, space displacements, vibrations, etc.) really exist! Nothing's wrong with galena (or any other diode-making material for that matter!) -- but I still don't understand WHY the galena (or any other diode making material!) works the way it does... But, nothing is wrong with galena for diode-making!

I have often wondered if it were possible to create a homemade diode -- out of nothing more than aluminum foil... I'm guessing (but not knowing!) that this could be done as follows: 1) Take two pieces of aluminum foil. 2) Roll one of them into a pyramid or cone of some sort... Whatever shape it is made into, it needs to taper to a sharp point at the end, much like a pyramid or cone... 3) Take the other piece of aluminum foil and coat it with an oxide layer. Basically burn it -- but don't melt it! 4) Now take the conic/pyramid shaped piece of foil and "point it" (for lack of a better term!) at the oxide layer on the other piece of foil, similar to a "cat's whisker" diode (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_detector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_detector , https://rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/razor_blade_diode_for_crystal_foxhole_radio.htm https://rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/razor_blade...) 5) Spacing (pressure) is very important! If the point is a micrometer too close or too far away -- it might not work! The casual observer would think that a "cat's whisker" diode has a direct connection between the surfaces -- but I would think that there's at least a little bit of capacitance (space) there -- determined by the pressure! So, would it work? ? I don't know! I don't currently have a multimeter to test the idea! But, I think it would be tremendously interesting if someone could create a working semiconductor (in this case a diode!) out of easy-to-find household items! (Yes, I know the "cat's whisker" works -- but I'm talking about still other items -- the reason for this is to understand semiconductors better -- in other words, there's more to the "P-N junction" theory than is taught -- since early diodes (tubes and other devices) DID NOT use doped semiconductors to obtain this electrical effect!) So, the thread submitted above, on the Raspberry Pi forums -- is about some other ways to make diodes... Anybody have any other ideas on how to make semiconductors using non-traditional semiconductor materials? ?

mkarliner 4y ago

Err, what's wrong with a lump of Galena? The old cat's whisker?

peter_d_sherman 4y ago
Here's my question: WHY does a diode work the way it does? ? That is, WHY is there a one-way flow of electricity? ? Can you explain to me WHY that is, without talking about P-N layers, doping, semiconductors, etc.? You see, I've read pretty much all of the standard explanations for why diodes work the way they do -- but each one of them leaves me scratching my head, saying that "there must be a simpler/more universal/"first principles" understanding about this phenomena -- then what is currently being taught. I want to discover what that is! But we'll never discover what that is as long as we accept standard pat answers to this question... like "it's a bunch of electrons" and "the electrons go one way in this configuration", etc., etc. Those explanations don't seem to give the best understanding to me, at this point in time... We could model the one-way flow of electricity using "minature Elves", "miniature Pixies" (instead of electrons!) -- and all of the math equations would work right (1 electron = 1 Pixie!) -- but it wouldn't leave us any more intelligent about what's really "going on down there" -- reasoning in this way would would make us all dumber -- and it does! Show me the one-way phenomena using a series of physical systems (not just electricity!), then generalize the principle, then show how that principle applies also to electricity and electricial phenomena, then show some experiments that prove this -- and then and only then might I accept that explanation! Until then, I search for a deeper understanding of the one-way electrical phenomena of diodes... The current explanations given -- are not sufficient! A good generalized principle of "one-wayed-ness" (for lack of a better term!) in electricity -- would compare all known one-wayed phenomena in magnetism (show me a one-way magnet!), waves, optics, RF, physical systems, etc., etc. That is, all one-wayed phenomena in physics... Take all of those, extract the general unified principle which causes all of them -- then go back and prove that that's what's happening with electricity in the case of diodes... If someone can do all of that, then I might be persuaded to believe that principle/theory... But not until! Electrons and P-N junctions (if they are even true descriptions!) describe effect... they do not describe cause(!) -- and that's if electrons (as minature particles -- as opposed to other physical phenomena, i.e., waves, fields, space displacements, vibrations, etc.) really exist! Nothing's wrong with galena (or any other diode-making material for that matter!) -- but I still don't understand WHY the galena (or any other diode making material!) works the way it does... But, nothing is wrong with galena for diode-making!