Patent ID: 7414257

Claim:
A switching device having an electrically isolating off state and an electrically conducting on-state, comprising: two separate electrodes, at least one of which being a reactive metal electrode; and a solid state electrolyte arranged between the electrodes and in said off-state electrically isolating said electrodes, wherein the at least one reactive electrode and the solid state electrolyte form a redox-system having a redox potential defining a minimum turn-on voltage to staff a redox-reaction, the redox-reaction resulting in an oxidization of the electrode metal and thereby the generation of metal ions which are released into the solid state electrolyte and therein reduced to form metallic precipitates which upon continued supply of metal ions increase a metal concentration within the solid state electrolyte and finally form an irreversible conductive metallic connection bridging the electrodes and enabling a flow of electrons between the electrodes to define the on-state.