Definitions
Portable transistor radios which replaced large, heavy vacuum-tube radios; handheld two-way radios.
What are walkie-talkies?
Hundreds of thousands of solar cells hooked together.
What is a solar panel?
When an electric charge is applied to one end of the crystal, all the electrons in the lattice are repelled by the negative end of the crystal and attracted to the positive end.
How do semiconductors conduct?
With an electric charge applied to one end of the crystal, all the electrons in the lattice are repelled by the negative end of the crystal and attracted to the positive end.
How are semiconductors used?
The number of free electrons in a semiconductor crystal being increased by replacing some of the atoms of the semiconductor with atoms of another element.
What is doping?
The outer shell of an atom.
What is a valence?
This was first hosted by a semiconductor diode and transistor.
What is a solid-state device?
Both materials which have five valence shell electrons; when either is used to dope silicon, one electron has no atom to attach to.
What are arsenic and posphorus?
Because this process adds more free electrons and more holes for them to move into, it increases the conductivity of a semiconductor and lowers its resistance.
How is doping used?
This type of transistor is found in computer chips.
What is the field-effect transistor?
A material that is neither a good conductor nor a good insulator.
What is a semiconductor?
Devices that, like vacuum-tube diodes, allow current to pass in only one direction.
What is a semiconductor diode?
It consists of a thin layer of p-type semiconductor sandwiched between two layers of n-type semiconductor.
How does a transistor work?
They emit no pollution, have no moving parts to wear out, and consume no fuel.
How are photovaltic cells simple and reliable?
Shortened from transfer resistor.
Semiconductor devices that, like vacuum-tube diodes, allow current to pass in only one direction.
What are semiconductor diodes?
A good physical example of what happens when semiconductors are used.
What is a Chinese checker-board?
Often used in the displays of digital clocks, stereos, microwave ovens, and other electronic equipment. They are also used as status indicator lights on computers, graphic equalizers, and other electronic equipment.
How do light-emitting diodes work?
It made radio and televisions more affordable. In addition, hearing aids small enough to be comfortably worn appeared for the first time.
This only allows current to flow in only one direction, just like a vacuum-tube diodes. As a result, scientists began to use this junction as a semiconductor diodes.
What is special about a p-n junction?
A semiconductor devices that produces electric current through the photovoltaic effect.
What is a Photovoltaic Cell (solar cell)?
A semiconductor devices that can perform the same functions as a vacuum-tube triodes.
What is a transistor?
Large, rod-like slabs of refined silicon, which is sliced into thin wafers by a diamond-edged saw. After being polished to a mirror-like finish, the water is ready to have transistors, diodes, and other components etched upon it. The wafer is coated with alternating layers of three basic materials: an insulating material, a semiconducting material, and a conducting material...
How are integrated circuits manufactured?
It replaced the point-contact transistor, which proved very temperamental, and is still widely used today, found in many electronic devices.
What is a junction transistor?
It requires no external power sources because they have no need of a heated filament.
Why are semiconductor diodes important?