Transistor history museum. Part of the original S/B Lobby display.

Transistor history museum. Transistor technology developed rapidly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and digital computer circuitry was a primary focus for each of the successive, higher performance device types. The Museum has recently established the ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor. The photo of the hand with the transistor is an accurate representation of the GA-53233 and GF- 45011 transistors used in the Vanguard I satellite and the 53194 transistor used in Explorer I. Plastic as we know it today made it possible to manufacture products much cheaper than out of wood or metal. We are dedicated to preserving the history of this tiny technological marvel that has made our modern world possible. Chip Shots Gallery Explores the hidden beauty in microprocessor chips. During the 1960s, many radio manufacturers touted the number of transistors used in a radio as a marketing Tubes were being supplanted by the transistor; a device that was a fraction the size of a tube and required much less power to operate. Beginning with the invention of the transistor at Bell Labs in 1947, it was recognized that the performance advantages Moore’s Law "Transistor density on integrated circuits doubles about every two years. The photo at top above illustrates the range of germanium transistors manufactured by Tung-Sol until the mid-1960s when the company exited from this business. On January 23, 1948 he conceived a distinctly different transistor based on the p-n junction discovered by Russell Ohl in 1940. This second collection documents early industry standard “2N” transistor types from the 1950s. You’ll find that this material (and more coming soon from the Transistor Museum) is an unparalleled way See a wide range of history such as the first transistor radio, the first cell phone, hear a thundering 1000 watt spark transmitter, wonder at the Voice of America station from Delano, California, see the Titanic Wireless Room, see and listen to a working Western Union office, walk into a 1925 Radio Store, see shelf after shelf of radios and Documenting the Major Contributions by General Electric to Transistor Development The invention of the transistor is credited to William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs in December 1947. The Museum has recently established the ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION The Raytheon CK722 – The First Ten Years is dedicated to the hobbyists and experimenters who still remember their first CK722 transistor back in the 1950s/60s and also to those modern-day enthusiast who may have heard of the mythical CK722. Using foreign parts for U. Jun 10, 2025 · Explore transistor history, from its invention in 1947 to early development, key contributors, and its impact on modern electronics. When you started with GE Electronics Lab in 1952, was the unijunction transistor applications work your first assignment? No. He was the Vice President of the Raytheon Receiving Tube in the early 1950s and positioned the company to take an early and significant lead in the manufacture of germanium junction transistors. assembly, many Trans-Aire radios were stamped “Made in the U. This collection documents the first industry standard “2N” transistor types from the 1950s. Intel Museum Showcases Intel's history and operations. The CHM, located in Mountain View Ca, is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the There was great demand for information on transistors at this time and Shockley was likely the only scientist who had the experience and ability to adequately provide this. A. (1947 Milestone) Herbert Mataré and Heinrich Welker had been deeply involved in the German radar effort during World War II. Tung-Sol entered the germanium semiconductor business in the mid-1950s. We’ve provided six original 60+ year-old versions of the CK722, each reflecting the history and For some EXCELLENT personal websites on the history of the transistor and transistor devices, see: Bob McGarrah’s Virtual Transistor Museum and ** **History website. Knight TRANSITRON 1950s/60s GERMANIUM AND SILICON POWER TRANSISTORS The Transitron Electronic Corporation (hereafter referred to as ‘Transitron'), began as a small venture firm in 1952 and found their early success in making mil-spec higher voltage 'gold-bonded' diodes. Knight has developed a unique and historically significant survey of early power transistors. For this photo the rubber sleeve around the cartridge body of the 1952 point contact transistor has been lowered to expose the adjustment hole required to manipulate the two sharpened point contacts for best Planning began in 1951 between Idea and Texas Instruments, supplier of the transistors. One of the biggest of these was the Nike surface-to-air missile interceptor program, where Western Oral History – Carl David Todd Carl’s vivid and detailed recollections of his work as a student and young engineer in the 1950s, and his insightful account of the early transistor program at General Electric will be the primary topic of this Oral History (taken in April through June, 2005). Mar 22, 2016 · Also included in this unique Transistor Museum kit are 50 vintage, historic and collectable mid-20th century semiconductors, all documented with key data and photographs. This Philco section of the Historic Germanium Computer Transistors Research and Collecting kit has included a number of observations, statements and conclusions regarding the early history of Philco transistor development. Vintage solid state - Transistors The invention and development of solid-state semiconductors (transistors) has a long history of milestones: The German physicist Julius Edgar Lilienfeld filed a patent for a field-effect transistor in Canada in 1925, intended as a solid state substitute for the electron tube (triode). ABOUT YOUR HISTORIC GERMANIUM COMPUTER TRANSISTORS The transistors supplied with this publication have been selected to provide a broad historical overview of the transistor device types that formed the technological basis for the development of modern digital computers. Knight PACIFIC SEMICONDUCTORS INC 1960s SILICON POWER TRANSISTORS The story of Pacific Semiconductors Incorporated (hereafter referred to as 'PSI') and their Power Transistor program is an early example of 1. Joe’s knowledge and photographic documentation of this important topic are unparalleled - the development of the first germanium power transistors in the 1950s is a major milestone in transistor history, and you won’t find a more The First “2N” Germanium Transistors 2N21, 2N22, 2N23 - Volume 1 is one of a series of History of Transistors Preservation Collections developed by the Transistor MuseumTM. This current Preservation Collection documents the first Transistor Museum Early Silicon Power Transistor History by Joe Knight General Electric Index ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION 1960s Moog Melodia Theremin Transistors and Diodes is dedicated to the electronic hobbyists and experimenters who still remember their first exciting work with circuits and especially those historic devices, circuits and components from the first days of transistor technology. The Museum receives many thousands of web site visits each year from those who are intereste This Philco section of the Historic Germanium Computer Transistors Research and Collecting kit has included a number of observations, statements and conclusions regarding the early history of Philco transistor development. During this first decade of transistor history, a variety of different device types were developed and this diversity of technologies has led to a rich historical backdrop of early transistor shapes, sizes, specifications and circuits. The Transistor Museum™ is very pleased to be able to host the new and authoritative “Survey of Early Power Transistors” by Joe Knight, with the intent of providing the most comprehensive, accurate and highly readable survey of the many unique power transistor types, manufactured in the first two decades of transistor history. These “2N” devices from the first days of the semiconductor revolution are truly a part of the great story ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor. Knight. The cover of the Transistor Museum™ “History of Transistors Volume 1” is shown above. Mister Transistor's Historic Semiconductors Information and images of historical transistors collected by Andrew Wylie CURATOR’S COMMENTS: The early 1950s, when Jonathan Hoppe’s grandfather worked as a Co-op at the Burroughs Corporation, were an exciting time in the history of transistor development. [3] The principle of a field-effect transistor was proposed by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld in 1925. Joe A. For example, the CK703 point contact type in the photo at top left dates from 1948 and was the first transistor sold commercially by Curator’s Introduction Trans-Aire actively promoted the “Buy American” approach to radio sales. Apr 29, 2007 · This Oral History provides an detailed look at Bob’s impressive contributions to early transistor history at RCA, including point contact transistor research and early germanium power transistor development. The 50 semiconductors (including various technologically significant versions of diodes, transistor and ICs) are each stored in a presentation envelope with Closeup View of this Collection Shown at left is a closeup view of the historic semiconductors included in this Time Capsule. The vision was to create a virtual museum on the history of the semiconductor industry that would provide a more complete history for educators than what is often constructed PR and social media marketeers who seek to elevate a company. This view allows a more detailed study of these devices. This Oral History is based on recent Transistor Museum™ communications with Ray and also on excerpts from a 1996 speech by Ray at the Indiana Historical Radio Society – this latter material is a very comprehensive review of Zenith transistor history, and you’ll find a link to this information in the reference section of the Oral History. We’ve provided six original 60+ year-old versions of the CK722, each reflecting the history and Planning began in 1951 between Idea and Texas Instruments, supplier of the transistors. The unijunction transistor was a interesting device. This Oral History was taken in January 2005 and highlights Jerry’s pioneering work on unijunction transistor technology at General Electric’s Electronics Laboratory in the early 1950s. Site includes history by Regency co-founder John Pies, TR-1 patent, trivia and links to web sites. The book was very widely read and greatly influenced the first years of transistor technology. Work began in earnest in the spring of 1954, and this first Regency transistor radio was in stores for the Christmas season later that year. These “2N” devices from the first days of the semiconductor revolution are truly a part of the great story Sep 8, 2009 · Eventually, transistors even took over the final amplifier function. S. Then came the IC, which did to the transistor what the transistor did to the tube, but I won't get into that now. Ralph’s comments on an early This Oral History is based on recent Transistor MuseumTM communications with Ray and also on excerpts from a 1996 speech by Ray at the Indiana Historical Radio Society – this latter material is a very comprehensive review of Zenith transistor history, and you’ll find a link to this information in the reference section of the Oral History. These devices from the first days of the semiconductor revolution are truly a part of the great story begun in 1947 with The Transistor MuseumTM is a virtual museum that has been developed to help preserve the history of the greatest invention of the 20TH century – the TRANSISTOR. On this website you’ll find articles on: The First Germanium Hobbyist Transistors Early Transistors at Motorola The First Transistor in Space Norman Krim, the Father of the CK722 Transistor a whole lot more Like all good museums Aug 2, 2022 · Bell Labs' commercial junction transistors in 1951. “THE FIRST TRANSISTORS GO TO COLLEGE” PRESERVING 1950s/60s HISTORIC SEMICONDUCTORS PROVIDED BY WESTERN ELECTRIC FOR COLLEGE STUDY ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION ne resource for documenting the history of the transistor. The Museum receives many thousands of web site visits each year from those who are interested in learning about the early days of transistor technology. The Museum has recently established the The introduction of the transistor is often considered one of the most important inventions in history. The portable set was built to demonstrate feasibility to potential semiconductor customers. Transistor Museum Oral History Walter MacWilliams Bell Labs Page7 Point Contact Transistors In 1948, the point-contact transistor was independently invented by two German physicists working in Paris. Early Raytheon Transistors: Raytheon was the early leader in commercial germanium transistor technology. Mar 3, 2003 · Jack Ward (above), curator of the online Transistor Museum, proffers a pile of unmarked half-size Raytheon germanium hearing-aid transistors, vintage mid- to late 1950s, that he bought on eBay for Historic Semiconductor Photo Gallery Index The Transistor Museum™ Photo Gallery has been established to provide an easily accessible and informative repository of high quality photographs and detailed information about many of the unique and historic transistors, diodes and integrated circuits from the early days of this exciting technology. Wumpus Transistors Semiconductor Collection Transistor Museum & History Web Site (Bob McGarrah) The Computer History Museum Radiomuseum Leading database of tubes, transistors and receivers How Europe Missed the Transistor (Michael Riordan) Crystal Fire: The Invention, Development and Impact of the Transistor (Michael Riordan and Lillian Hoddeson) The historic object at right is on display at the Computer History Museum and is an example of an early IBM experimental transistor digital logic board. Several major U. Image used courtesy of Jack Ward, Transistor Museum and Computer History This drawback inspired Gordon Teal, a researcher at Texas Instruments, to invent the first-ever silicon transistor in 1954. It would start with some of the earliest events, such as the invention of The Field Effect Transistor (FET) in 1925 by Julius E. By 1956 IBM was fabricating their own alloy junction transistors, as shown below. Oct 18, 2011 · Texas Instruments' Regency TR-1, the first commercial transistor radio, on display at the American History Museum Photo courtesy museum For the first 50 years after its invention, the radio was An initiative by the Chip History Center toward strengthening the industry by empowering researchers with archived videos and docs from semiconductor history. " Source: "Moore’s Law: Raising the Bar" (Intel Corporation 2005) Microelectronic silicon computer "chips" have grown in capability from a single transistor in the 1950s to billions of transistors per chip on today's microprocessor and memory devices. (1940 Milestone) Partly spurred by professional jealousy, as he resented not An additional feature of this unique Transistor Museum kit is that included are 50 vintage, historic and collectable mid-20th semiconductors manufactured by ten of the best known and pioneering companies from the 1950s through the 1970s. Included in the book are A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS by Joe A. This Transistor Museum™ interview with Joe D’Airo provides a very unique personal viewpoint on the activities and products of another American transistor radio company, Trans-Aire, that managed to stay in business throughout the 1950 and 1960s by selling large quantities of inexpensive radios. If you are an Historian, Engineer, Experimenter, Researcher or Hobbyist interested in early semiconductor technology, this unique publication and classic 1950s/60s hobbyist kit is a “must-have”. companies responded to this initial work with large scale research and manufacturing programs which transformed the early “lab curiosity” aspects of the These are all very historic audio transistors from the early days of this technology. Teal's silicon transistor had the same working principle as the germanium transistor, but it could withstand high temperatures. TRANSISTOR MUSEUM™ Historic Transistor Museum Store The Transistor Museum™ Store has been established to provide an easily accessible (and inexpensive) source of unique and historic transistors, diodes and integrated circuits from the early days of this exciting technology. History of Transistors Volume 1 SEMICONDUCTOR MUSEUM HOME PAGE HISTORIC TRANSISTORS, DIODES & ICs PRESERVING THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY Transistor Museum Update April 2025 Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor – we receive many thousands of website visits each year from those interested in learning about the SEMICONDUCTOR MUSEUM HOME PAGE HISTORIC TRANSISTORS, DIODES & ICs PRESERVING THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY Transistor Museum Update April 2025 Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor – we receive many thousands of website visits each year from those interested in learning about the ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor. The Regency model TR-1 contained four transistors. In addition to showcasing the revolutionary transistor technology, the Vanguard satellite also used solar batteries, another Bell Labs invention. [4] Mar 22, 2016 · Also included in this unique Transistor Museum kit are 50 vintage, historic and collectable mid-20th century semiconductors, all documented with key data and photographs. Tungsol transistors were typically painted a distinctive “Robin’s egg blue” and Tungsol carried this colorful approach over to the external packaging that was Transistor Museum Early Germanium Power Transistor History by Joe Knight Texas Instruments Norman B. This historic Historic Semiconductor Photo Gallery Index The Transistor Museum™ Photo Gallery has been established to provide an easily accessible and informative repository of high quality photographs and detailed information about many of the unique and historic transistors, diodes and integrated circuits from the early days of this exciting technology. " The historic object at right is on display at the Computer History Museum and is an example of an early IBM experimental transistor digital logic board. ) the creation of new Transistor MuseumTM Preservation Collection Historic Semiconductor Fact Sheet Historic 1950s/60s NPN Germanium Transistors Audio-Pak Transistor MuseumTM Preservation Collection Historic Semiconductor Fact Sheet Historic 1950s/60s NPN Germanium Transistors Audio-Pak. ” Hong Kong manufactured radios used transistor “fallouts” labeled “Made in USA”. The History of Transistors Volume 1 documents The First Germanium Hobbyist Transistors, a subject that should be of great interest to the modern-day experimenter, engineer, historian, researcher and hobbyist. ) the Westward migration of semiconductor technology, eventually contributing to the formation of Silicon Valley, and 2. Krim: Norm Krim was the “Father of the CK722” transistor. The two socketed transistors are of IBM manufacture, type 58, with date code 1957 week 2. History of Transistors Volume 1 Mar 22, 2016 · Also included in this unique Transistor Museum kit are 50 vintage, historic and collectable mid-20th century semiconductors, all documented with key data and photographs. History of Transistors Volume 1 SEMICONDUCTOR MUSEUM HOME PAGE HISTORIC TRANSISTORS, DIODES & ICs PRESERVING THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY Transistor Museum Update April 2025 Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor – we receive many thousands of website visits each year from those interested in learning about the ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor. This current Preservation Collection documents the first Transistor Museum Oral History Walter MacWilliams Bell Labs Page7 Point Contact Transistors George Ludwig – Transistor Museum Oral History Dr. Beginning in the late 1940s and continuing throughout the 1950s, Raytheon accomplished a number of historic “firsts” with pioneering germanium devices. Instead, I will get into Jack Ward's online Transistor Museum that bills itself as "dedicated to preserving the history of the greatest invention of the 20th Century. From the Lab to The Fab: Transistors to Integrated Circuits A short description of 42 important historical papers complied by Howard Huff. Having been on the forefront of research and manufacturing for light-bulbs, then vacuum tubes and then Sep 16, 2020 · The Transistor Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the greatest invention of the 20th century, THE TRANSISTOR. The Museum has recently established the General Microelectronics uses a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) process to pack more transistors on a chip than bipolar ICs and builds the first calculator chip set using the technology. Lilienfeld in 1925 — yes Feb 17, 2010 · The Transistor Museum’s tagline is “Dedicated to Preserving the History of the Greatest Invention of the 20th Century,” and it does a pretty good job of it. The company has succeeded in prototyping a 2-nanometer process using gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. Mataré developed crystal rectifiers from silicon and germanium at the Telefunken laboratories in Berlin and Silesia, while Welker worked on purifying germanium A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS PHILCO 1950s GERMANIUM POWER TRANSISTORS ABOVE, L-to-R: Philco had publicly expected the conversion to transistor car-radio devices would occur in the 1958 model year. ABOUT THIS BOOK AND THE TRANSISTOR MUSEUMTM This book is the first of a series of History of Transistors publications developed by the Transistor MuseumTM. The first transistor radio was the Regency TR-1. IBM's early transistor implementations were done using outside semiconductor sources, such as Texas Instruments. The Museum has recently established the Explore the history and significance of the CK722 classic germanium transistor in this museum dedicated to its legacy. The Museum has recently established the “Preservation Collection” program with the goal of actively preserving transistor history by making available truly historic transistor types, including display packaging and comprehensive documentation. EARLY TRANSISTOR HISTORY AT RCA Documenting Over 30 Years of Major Contributions by RCA to Transistor Development The transistor was invented by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley at Bell Labs in December 1947. Before we discuss your professional work with early transistor technology at General Electric, I’d The real potential of junction transistors as circuit devices became evident to them by 1952. ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION 1960s Moog Melodia Theremin Transistors and Diodes is dedicated to the electronic hobbyists and experimenters who still remember their first exciting work with circuits and especially those historic devices, circuits and components from the first days of transistor technology. No doubt having secured the Western Electric transistor license they started After Bardeen and Brattain's December 1947 invention of the point-contact transistor (1947 Milestone), Bell Labs physicist William Shockley began a month of intense theoretical activity. A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS by Joe A. Similar to some of the other 'Giants', like RCA and Raytheon, they manufactured electronic parts ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor. The First “2N” Germanium Transistors 2N24, 2N25, 2N26, 1760 - Volume 2 is one of a series of History of Transistors Preservation Collections developed by the Transistor MuseumTM. Similar to some of the other 'Giants', like RCA and Raytheon, they manufactured electronic parts Transistor television Usage Conditions Apply Description (Brief): This was the first television receiver using all semiconductors built at TI (1958) and was probably one of the first built anywhere. EARLY TRANSISTOR HISTORY AT MOTOROLA “PELTIER GIVES HOGAN THE COLD SHOULDER” by Ralph Greenburg Curator’s Introduction: Although Motorola was a major manufacturer of a variety of semiconductor devices, including diodes, rectifiers, transistors and ICs, there was at least one unique semiconductor, “the Peltier cooler”, that was never a Motorola product. Knight WESTINGHOUSE 1950s/60s GERMANIUM POWER TRANSISTORS The Westinghouse Electric Corporation began life in 1886 as an industrial power manufacturer and has produced as wide a variety of electrical goods as any company on the face of the earth. The mythical CK722 transistor was the result of an inspired program established by Norm to market hundreds of thousands of sub Did General Electric ever sell any of the germanium unijunction transistors commercially, before switching to silicon? And what were the first applications? As far as I know, yes. A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS by Joe Knight THE POWER TRANSISTOR BELL TELEPHONE LABS AND WESTERN ELECTRIC While Bell Labs and Western Electric manufactured their products mostly for telephone use, they were both involved with large military and government space and defense programs. Japan, however, remained at the planar 40 nm process. The germanium transistors supplied with this publication represent the fundamental device types developed during this time frame for digital computer use. Part of the original S/B Lobby display. [1][2] Transistors are broadly classified into two categories: bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and field-effect transistor (FET). The first commercial transistors were just becoming available, and computer manufacturing companies were eager to evaluate the performance of these crude devices for use in digital circuits. Until now, transistor scaling progressed through 16 nm, 7 nm, 5 nm and 3 nm nodes by using FinFET—a three-dimensional transistor structure—to increase integration density. The historic object at right is on display at the Computer History Museum and is an example of an early IBM experimental transistor digital logic board. ABOUT THIS TRANSISTOR MUSEUM PRESERVATION COLLECTION The Raytheon CK722 – The First Ten Years is dedicated to the hobbyists and experimenters who still remember their first CK722 transistor back in the 1950s/60s and also to those modern-day enthusiast who may have heard of the mythical CK722. Knight SYLVANIA 1950s GERMANIUM POWER TRANSISTORS Sylvania was one of those large early electrical manufacturing corporations, originally making incandescent lamps and later vacuum tubes, such that by the early 1950's they were well over 50 years old. Curating the Historic Paul Sullivan Transistor Collection - The above photo collage documents just a few of the many truly historic transistors that were recently donated to the Computer History Museum. George Ludwig was the principle designer of the transistor-based cosmic ray instrumentation package for the Explorer 1 satellite, and worked extensively on early satellite electronics at JPL. The Museum receives many thousands of web site visits each year from those who are intereste During this first decade of transistor history, a variety of different device types were developed and this diversity of technologies has led to a rich historical backdrop of early transistor shapes, sizes, specifications and circuits. WELCOME TO THE TRANSISTOR MUSEUM™ DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF THE GREATEST INVENTION OF THE 20TH CENTURY History of the transistor A transistor is a semiconductor device with at least three terminals for connection to an electric circuit. 1960: Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) Transistor Demonstrated John Atalla and Dawon Kahng fabricate working transistors and demonstrate the first successful MOS field-effect amplifier. The silicon SEMICONDUCTOR MUSEUM HOME PAGE HISTORIC TRANSISTORS, DIODES & ICs PRESERVING THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY Transistor Museum Update April 2025 Established in the late 1990s, the Transistor Museum has been an important online resource for documenting the history of the transistor – we receive many thousands of website visits each year from those interested in learning about the The Transistor MuseumTM is a virtual museum that has been developed to help preserve the history of the greatest invention of the 20TH century – the TRANSISTOR. In the common case, the third terminal controls the flow of current between the other two terminals. pguisu fbrk ajjzx xsrt lhjd4 bfwt sndfg n2yn bqfe jpr