# Schottsky diodes or transistors or something else?



## nifflertreasures (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi, I have about 5# of these that I sorted out of a big pile of weird electronic stuff, but my web searching has found that these could be either diodes, transistors, or something else entirely. Does anyone know what these things are called so that I can research them some more?


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## tlcarrig (Oct 25, 2011)

Didd you google the numbers on them?


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## element47 (Oct 25, 2011)

They could be any or all of those. There are many devices that can live in a so-called "TO-220" package, which to be accurate, is the second from the right. 

They could be dual diodes, darlington transistors, regular transistors, voltage regulator chips, triacs, silicon controlled rectifiers, or MOSFETS, probably a few others that escape me at this moment. Can't tell by the package. They are in those larger-than-the-smallest-package type of package because they handle modest amounts of power, which implies that they produce heat which has to be radiated away by attaching them to a heat sink. That's what the tab on the TO-220 item is for, unless the little tab of metal, all by itself, is enough of a heat sink. It often is.


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## nifflertreasures (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi, yes I googled the RCA one, but I just got parts lists that were beyond my understanding. The smaller one I really can't read the makers name on. I'm hoping they have some value, I have a lot of them. Thanks for the help, I guess I will have to test for pm content.


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## BetaDoctor (Oct 25, 2011)

They look like the thingies attached to the Aluminium heat-sinks in a CRT monitor. Some have cooling paste on them, other conduct the heat through sticky-tape sort of medium. I have several of them too, and i too wonder whats inside them.

I'll try to google some numbers and get back on this one.


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## element47 (Oct 25, 2011)

I'd be kind of surprised if they had *any* PMs in them, they are desirable devices from the electronics standpoint because they handle decent power and they are very cheap. On one hand, I have never busted them open so you might find some 1/16th" long pieces of gold wire inside. OTOH, the leads themselves are intended to be heat sinks so I would tend to doubt that you'll find eentsy little gold wires connecting the fat leads to the slug of silicon that is no doubt inside them. If the leads are heat sinks, they would be directly bonded to the silcon wafer structure inside, hence no gold wire interconnect. This would be different for a CMOS memory chip, or a microprocessor, which would have many, many leads. (Well, at least 28 or so, not THREE) Those are not intended to handle any kind of power to speak of, just logic signals.


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## Claudie (Oct 25, 2011)

Some of them have visible Gold plating on the legs and inside. The others are just Copper.


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## Geo (Oct 25, 2011)

heres an example. sorry about the fuzzy picture, i need a better camera.


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## nifflertreasures (Oct 25, 2011)

I smashed a couple of these with a hammer, and they separated into 3 pieces of metal/legs. the middle piece has a tiny piece of some rubbery material covering a small spot of powdery black stuff. I didn't see any wires or filaments under 10x loupe. I used a file on the metal pieces and under the silvery colored surface metal is copper colored metal. I won't inflict my bad picture taking on anyone. So I am satisfied that these don't contain any PMs. My thanks to everyone for their help. BTW, this is the stuff I got them from.


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## goldsilverpro (Oct 25, 2011)

For an unknown reason, we called the 3rd one from the left a PLE. Maybe someone will know what that acronym stands for - I've always been curious. Even when the visible metal was all gold plated, they still were quite mediocre, in $/#, as I recall.


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## qst42know (Oct 26, 2011)

Found it!




> Multigate FETs are commonly referred to as \multi(ple)-gate transistors", \Fin-
> FETs", \tri(ple)-gate transistors", \GAA transistors", etc.




Full technical paper.

http://www.imt.ro/romjist/Volum11/Number11_1/pdf/01-Colinge.pdf


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## DarkspARCS (Oct 26, 2011)

nifflertreasures...

I want your brain coral, and all those lil nodules you have displayed on it for my collection! lol

Anyway, I possess quite a few of these that I have harvested from e-scrap. Most have what appears to be either a palladium/ silver or gold coating on them, with copper underneath. Some appear to be entirely palladium/ silver.

I wouldnt give up on these just yet, as I believe a stanous test should be performed first!


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## nifflertreasures (Oct 26, 2011)

Thanks Dark, Those are some silver and 1 gold (Marked 18K & 24K and weighing 10 grams) rings found last year with my metal detector. Yes, mine appear to be plated with silver or another white metal, that when filed off reveals a copper colored metal. I have to pick through the 50# of diodes, resistors, and capacitors in my box and try to find something worth refining.


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## cheese (Nov 1, 2011)

Based on components you show in the photo's, don't overlook the silver Mica capacitors,
also known somtimes as "dogbone" caps. Also buried in the stack I see some of the 
electrolytic caps with the red ends that are supposed to have a silver slug sealing
the eletrolyte into the tube.


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## nifflertreasures (Nov 4, 2011)

Thanks Cheese, I will have a closer look at the ones you pointed out!


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## jimdoc (Nov 4, 2011)

Here is more information on what you want to look for;

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9163

Jim


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## nifflertreasures (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks for the information guys, Turns out there was about 2# of the silver mica ones. I am still sorting out all the types in my box.


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## vango57 (Nov 8, 2011)

These are what I was taught to be scr's, silicon controlled rectifiers. I used them in the 70s to build strobe lights.

You might look these up as I have described for further research.

Van


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## rucito (Nov 9, 2011)

The small blue capacitors of the second image may contain Ag and Pd


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