The Solid State Transistor - The Planar Transistor

About this Artwork

Transistors were invented in 1947 at Bell Laboratories by  John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley. When the invention of the Transistor was announced, it received very little attention. It was much like the a stone thrown in pond, except that the ripples became crashing economic and cultural waves.  Compared with vacuum tubes, Transistors are small, cool, reliable, durable, and cheap. In fact, Transistors are nearly immortal. Without physical or heat damage, a transistor can perform switching functions for decades, perhaps even centuries. The switching action is created by a complex interaction of semiconductor materials. Germanium, and later Silicon were the semiconductors of choice. Transistors have three electrical connections, or leads: the emitter, the base, and the collector. Electricity applied to the base acts as a switch that allows electricity to pass, or not, from the Emitter to the Collector. The four major types of transistors are the Point Contact, the Junction, the MOSFET and the Planar.

This artwork includes 3 elements. The art on the front is of a Planar Transistor chip (BTW: this was my first ChipScape artwork). It has a Planar Transistor. On the back is a narrative describing the artwork and the Planar Transistor, and the artist’s signature.

Framing: 

The artwork is framed in an 11"x14" black shadow box frame, with glass. All framing materials are acid-free. A narrative about the artwork that includes the artist’s signature is placed on the back of the artwork.

Please note:  The look of the artifacts in the artworks may vary, each piece is unique. The game title in the photographs is on the one you will receive.