The Bipolar Junction Transistor - An Electronic Valve

About this Artwork This artwork is a mixed media display celebrating the Bipolar Junction Transistor. The Junction transistor was the first reliable transistor. It was invented by William Shockley who was a co-inventor of the original Point Contact transistor. The Point Contact transistor was difficult to produce and was somewhat variable in its operating characteristics. The Junction's solid construction was the key factor in stabilizing the operating characteristics of the transistor. The Junction transistor was built with a grown crystal of negatively doped germanium and positively doped germanium. These alternating areas of negative and positive germanium created the transistor effect. When an input current was drawn from the base lead, which was connected to the p-doped section of the crystal, the switched current was allowed to flow from the emitter lead to the collector lead.This artwork includes 3 major items. It has an image of the internals (inside the can) of a Bipolar Junct