Wes Phillips

Happy 60th Transistor

Wes Phillips  |  Dec 17, 2007

December 16, 2007 was the 60th anniversary of the invention of the point transfer transistor. Forbes has an article on it.

This is a picture of Shockley's "improved" gen 2 junction transistor—essentially a cylindrical plug of germanium, impregnated, with chemical impurities to enable it to carry a charge.

Still think you would would have invested in Bell Labs when they announced the breakthrough? I'm pretty sure I would have looked at a nice shiny triode and determined that a blob of mud could never have outperformed it.

COMMENTS
john devore's picture
Submitted by john devore (not verified) on December 17, 2007 - 4:06pm

"I'm pretty sure I would have looked at a nice shiny triode and determined that a blob of mud could never have outperformed it."
`````And some would say that you'd be correct.

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