The shrinking size of transistors

When I was first introduced to transistors they were in a metal box which was a cylinder of about ½’’ or 10mm. about the diameter of a modern 5p piece with three fine wires issuing from underneath which were trimmed to size.



These primitive devices were the precursor of the micro chip’s which are in use today. Modern micro processors can have several thousand transistors contained within a small sliver of silicon the size of you’re pinkie finger nail.

This may all sound compicated, but basically the transistor amplifies an electrical impulse so that we no longer have to carry around a mobile phone or radio weighing several kilograms like we did before. Small transistors mean small portable products.

A lot of the development work was carried out by the Ministry of Defence in the early years after world war two. A lot of women were employed in the assembly work as it would seem they are more patient than men and were less likely to be curious as to what function each individual component carried out. This was for reasons of secrecy and to deter industial breach of copyright.

F.C.