transistors
Tiny electronic switches
Transistors is the plural of transistor, a semiconductor device that amplifies or switches electronic signals.
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the mid-20th century, enabling smaller and more reliable electronics.
A transistor radio was portable because transistors made miniaturization possible.
Modern microprocessors contain billions of transistors on a single chip.
Partial electrical conductor
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- circuitClosed electrical pathway
- diodeOne-way semiconductor
- resistorCurrent-limiting circuit element
capacitor · integrated · silicon · germanium · microchip · voltage · current · switching
Supporting bottom structure
- emitterThing that gives off
- collectorOne who gathers items
- gateHinged barrier in fence
- sourcePoint of origin
drain · bipolar · substrate · doping · channel · terminal · lead · package
Binary operation circuit
- ANDLogical both-true gate
- ORInclusive logic gate
- NANDNegated-and logic operation
- flip-flopSudden change of position
binary · processor · CPU · memory · switching · on-off · TTL · CMOS
Transistor co-inventor
- Bell LabsStoried telecommunications research institution
- 1947Year after WWII ended
- NobelSwedish prize surname
- inventionNew device or method
vacuum tube · replacement · miniaturization · revolution · germanium · solid-state · Fairchild · Texas Instruments
Deliberately untrue statement
- lithographyGrease-based flat plate printing
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- cleanroomParticle-free manufacturing space
- waferThin crisp disk
photoresist · deposition · Moore's Law · nanometer · foundry · Intel · Samsung · yield
semiconductor
Partial electrical conductor
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- circuitClosed electrical pathway
- diodeOne-way semiconductor
resistor · capacitor · integrated · silicon · germanium · microchip · voltage · current · switching · oscillator
base
Supporting bottom structure
source · drain · bipolar · substrate · doping · channel · terminal · lead · package · die
logic gate
Binary operation circuit
flip-flop · binary · processor · CPU · memory · switching · on-off · TTL · CMOS · clock
Shockley
Transistor co-inventor
- Bell LabsStoried telecommunications research institution
- 1947Year after WWII ended
- NobelSwedish prize surname
invention · vacuum tube · replacement · miniaturization · revolution · germanium · solid-state · Fairchild · Texas Instruments · patent
fabrication
Deliberately untrue statement
- lithographyGrease-based flat plate printing
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- cleanroomParticle-free manufacturing space
wafer · photoresist · deposition · Moore's Law · nanometer · foundry · Intel · Samsung · yield · scaling
- Motherboardsmotherboard, PCB, chipset, BIOS, CPU socket
- Nanoelectronicsnanoelectronics, nanowires, carbon nanotubes, molecular switches, nanofabrication
- power electronicsinverters, power converter, rectifiers, voltage converter, converters
- Innovationselectricity, steam engine, printing press, telephone, telegraph
- technologyelectronics, computing, computer, internet, social media
- 20th CenturyWorld War I aftermath, Cuban Missile Crisis, atomic bomb, New Deal, Nazi Germany
transistorsvacuum tubes
Electron-controlling glass cylinders
relays · valves · cathode ray tubes · diodes
transistorsintegrated circuits
Miniaturized electronic components on semiconductor
- transistor radioCompact semiconductor-based broadcast receiver
- shrinking transistors