The Discovery and Evolution of The Transistor

Zero Hour: The First Transistor

• Date: December 16th, 1947
• Marked the birth of the modern computing era
• Replaced vacuum tubes with smaller, more efficient transistors

Beginnings

• Companies Involved: AT&T, Bell Labs
• Problem: Vacuum tubes were large, expensive, and prone to failure
• Goal: Find a replacement for vacuum tubes

Early Research

• William Shockley: Joined Bell Labs in 1936
• Initial Focus: Copper-oxide rectifiers to convert AC to DC power
• Failure: Early experiments with dirty, impure semiconductors didn’t work

World War II Effects

• Shockley served in anti-submarine research and radar deployment
• Advancement: Developments in very pure germanium and silicon
• Important Work: Purdue University, Germanium and Silicon Purification

Post-War Developments

• Mervin Kelly: Promoted to director of research in 1945
• New Groups: Focus on interdisciplinary research
• Shockley, Brattain, and Bardeen involved
• Prediction: Modulating conductivity by applying a strong electric field

An Experiment

• Failure Initial Experiments: Modulation less than predicted
• Breakthrough Idea by Bardeen: Electric field blocked at the semiconductor surface
• Final Setup: December 16, 1947
• Outcome: Successful amplification of a signal

Secrecy and Public Announcement

• AT&T kept it secret to file patents and consulted the military
• Public Announcement: June 30, 1948

The Point Contact Transistor

• First used to amplify speech for AT&T leadership
• Challenges: Fragility and inconsistency due to semiconductor surface structures

Development of the Junction Transistor

• Concept by Shockley: Realized minority carrier injection was key
• Material: Germanium crystal with P-type and N-type materials
• Commercialization: Created more resilient and useful transistors

Transistorized Products and Computers

• First Transistorized Product: Hearing aids in 1953
• First Computer: University of Manchester in 1953
• US Military Involvement: Developed TRADIC, a fully transistorized computer by 1954

Conclusion

• Shockley's Departure: Left Bell Labs in 1954 to form his own company
• Shift of Innovation: As more companies entered the market, Bell Labs declined as a pioneer
• Move to California: Marks the beginning of a new era in semiconductor research and business