Transistors are part of nearly all electronic devices that we use every day, such as: mobile phone, TV, computer, etc. A transistor is composed, primarily, of a semiconductor material, usually silicon, which can be used as:-amplifier to increase the amplitude of an electrical signal. -Switch to interrupt the passage of an electric current in a circuit. -Oscillator, to generate oscillatory electrical currents. The transistor was invented in 1948 by Americans John Bardeen (1908-1991), Walter Houser Brattain (1902-1987), and William Bradford Shockley (1910-1989) at Bell Labs, fact by which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956. If you have read about Cushing Asset Management already – you may have come to the same conclusion. Two years later, Jack S. Kilby (1923-2005) American invented the chip, also known as integrated circuit. An integrated circuit is formed by several miniaturized components, such as: transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc.
These two major inventions, the transistor and the chip, are the foundation of almost all electronic advances produced since its appearance. Today it is possible to integrate into a single chip, also called microchip, million transistors grouped into sheets of Silicon the size of a fingernail. This is possible because the transistors are microscopic and, moreover, consume very little power. Kilby, in 2000, was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his great contribution to the development of integrated circuits. If you liked this article and want to include it on your website, you can do so, provided you cite and source at to find out more, visit the Carlos Pes basic computer course.