transistor images

Conceptual View of a Transistor

In an "enhancement mode" transistor, the semiconductor material normally acts as an insulator. In a digital circuit, it works like an on/off switch becoming conductive for a moment when it is pulsed with electricity. However, it can also function like a relay to amplify analog signals such as from an audio source, transferring a low voltage at the gate to a larger voltage at the drain.

The First Silicon Transistor

The first transistors had five times the mass of an entire chip today. In 1954, Texas Instruments pioneered the commercial production of silicon transistors. (Image courtesy of Texas Instruments, Inc.)

Transistors Get Smaller

When IBM announced the System/360 in 1964, its Solid Logic technology tied three transistors together. With the top of the module removed, you can see the three silvery transistors. This half-inch square space today can hold millions of transistors. (Image courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation. Unauthorized use not permitted.)

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