The tip of the wire contacting the surface of the crystal formed a crude unstable point-contact metal semiconductor junction, forming a rectify the radio signal, converting it from alternating current to a pulsing direct current, to extract the audio signal ( modulation ) from the radio frequency carrier wave.
32.
Schottky metal semiconductor junctions are featured in the successors to the TTL family of logic devices, the 74S, 74LS and 74ALS series, where they are employed as Baker clamps in parallel with the collector-base junctions of the bipolar transistors to prevent their saturation, thereby greatly reducing their turn-off delays.
33.
This is the EMP phenomenon which grabs headlines for its potential to ( according to some commentators ) reverse-bias and destroy semiconductor junctions-hence, all manner of integrated circuits in cell phones, the computer you're reading this on, TVs and radios, and the computers and silicon-controlled rectifiers in all modern automobiles.
