Description

On June 30, 1948, AT&T Bell Labs unveiled the transitor to the world, creating a spark of explosive economic growth that would lead into the Information Age. William Shockley led a team of researchers, including Walter Brattain and John Bardeen, who invented the device. Like the existing triode vacuum tube device, the transistor could amplify signals and switch currents on and off, but the transistor was smaller, cheaper, and more efficient. Moreover, it could be integrated with millions of other transistors onto a single chip, creating the integrated circuit at the heart of modern computers.

Today, most transistors are being manufactured with a minimum feature size of 60-90nm--roughly 200-300 atoms. As the push continues to make devices even smaller, researchers must account for quantum mechanical effects in the device behavior. With fewer and fewer atoms, the positions of impurities and other irregularities begin to matter, and device reliability becomes an issue. So rather than shrink existing devices, many researchers are working on entirely new devices, based on carbon nanotubes, spintronics, molecular conduction, and other nanotechnologies.

Learn more about transistors from the many resources on this site, listed below. Use our simulation tools to simulate performance characteristics for your own devices.

Resources (141-160 of 334)

1. Illinois ME 498 Introduction of Nano Science and Technology, Lecture 25: Nanomaterials and Devices for Solar Energy

   29 Dec 2009 | Contributor(s):: Nick Fang, Omar N Sobh

   Nanomaterials and Devices for Solar EnergyTopics: Approaches: Breathing Membrane Continuous Operation Fuel Cell Water Management ElectroKinetic Nanobattery EDL Capacitators Laminar Flow Based Micro Fuel Cells The Energy in Sunlight Solar Energy Utilization Discovery of photovoltaic effect...

2. Illinois ME 498 Introduction of Nano Science and Technology, Lecture 23: Nanomaterials and Devices for Energy Conversion I

   Online Presentations | 28 Dec 2009 | Contributor(s):: Nick Fang, Omar N Sobh

   Nanomaterials and Devices for Energy ConversionTopics: Overview of Actuators at Nanoscale Electrostatic Actuators Piezo-Actuators Surface Acoustic Wave Motors Actuator Selection Electrochemical Actuators Solid State Electrochemical Actuator Electrochemical nano-actuator Electrochemical conversion...

3. Illinois ME 498 Introduction of Nano Science and Technology, Lecture 24: Nanomaterials and Devices for Energy Conversion II

   Online Presentations | 28 Dec 2009 | Contributor(s):: Nick Fang, Omar N Sobh

   Nanomaterials and Devices for Energy Conversion IITopics: Electrochemistry - Energy Storage Non-linear Diffusion Effect in Electrochemistry Architecture of 3-D batteries Nanomaterials for Energy Storage Solutions for Reversibility Nano-wire Lithium Ion Batteries Nano-wire Solar Cells Micro Nano...

4. Molecular Sensors for MEMS

   Online Presentations | 10 Dec 2009 | Contributor(s):: John P. Sullivan

   This seminar will cover the issues involved in using molecular sensors in MEMS and their application to microchannels, supersonic micronozzles, microjet impingement, microturbines and unsteady fluidic actuators.

5. Taxonomy of spintronics (a zoo of devices)

   5.0 out of 5 stars 

   Online Presentations | 02 Nov 2006 | Contributor(s):: Dmitri Nikonov, George Bourianoff

   The presentation deals with classification of logic devices based on electron spin as a computational variable. Requirements for logic devices are reviewed. Specifically we focus on a) concatenability (output of one device can drive another) and b) the complete set of Boolean operators (NOT, AND,...

6. Optical BioMEMS Microfluidic Technologies for Hand-Held, Point-of-Care, Medical Devices

   0.0 out of 5 stars 

   Online Presentations | 23 Nov 2009 | Contributor(s):: James Leary

   Portable, point-of-care, medical diagnostic devices could provide an important new component in more cost-effective healthcare delivery. Rapid measurements of blood samples during an examination within a doctor’s office or in the field, could allow immediate appropriate treatment of medical...

7. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 20: P-N Diode in Reverse Bias

   4.0 out of 5 stars 

   Online Presentations | 30 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

   Recap diode (forward, zero, reverse) bias diagrams.Recap some of the equations.

8. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 19: Current Flow in P-N Diode

   0.0 out of 5 stars 

   Online Presentations | 28 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

   Last time, we talked about unbiased p-n junction.Today: biased (Vext ≠ 0) p-n junction & current flow

9. Lecture 6: 3D Nets in a 3D World: Bulk Heterostructure Solar Cells

   0.0 out of 5 stars 

   Online Presentations | 29 Jul 2009 | Contributor(s):: Muhammad A. Alam

   Outline:Introduction: definitions and review
Reaction diffusion in fractal volumesCarrier transport in BH solar cellsAll phase transitions are not fractalConclusions

10. Lecture 5: 2D Nets in a 3D World: Basics of Nanobiosensors and Fractal Antennae

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 29 Jul 2009 | Contributor(s):: Muhammad A. Alam

    Outline:Background: A different type of transport problem
Example: Classical biosensorsFractal dimension and cantor transformExample: fractal nanobiosensors Conclusions
Appendix: Transparent Electrodes and Antenna

11. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 18: P-N Diode Electrostatics

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 21 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

    Last time, we talked about p-n junction built-in voltage V¬0.Today: more about p-n electrostatics.

12. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 16-17: Diffusion

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 20 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

    So far:•Energy bands, Doping, Fermi levels•Drift (~n*v), diffusion (~dn/dx)•Einstein relationship (D/μ = kT/q)•“Boring” semiconductor resistors (either n- or p-type)•Majority/minority carriers with illuminationToday, our first “useful” device:•The P-N junction diode in equilibrium (external...

13. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 14-15: Diffusion with Recombination

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 08 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

    •Diffusion with recombination•The diffusion length (distance until they recombine)

14. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 13: Diffusion

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 01 Oct 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

    ECE 440: Lecture 13Diffusion Current

15. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 12: Quasi-Fermi Levels; Photoconductivity

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 05 Jan 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

16. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lecture 10-11: Optical Absorption and Direct Recombination

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 30 Sep 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

17. Illinois ECE 440 Solid State Electronic Devices, Lectures 8 and 9: Drift Mobility

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 02 Jan 2009 | Contributor(s):: Eric Pop

    Carrier Mobility and DriftECE 440: Lectures 8-9Carrier Mobility and DriftLet’s recap the 5-6 major concepts so far: Memorize a few things, but recognize many.(why? semiconductors require lots of approximations)Why all the fuss about the abstract concept of EF?Consider (for example) joining an...

18. Lecture 5: NEGF Simulation of Graphene Nanodevices

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Online Presentations | 21 Sep 2009 | Contributor(s):: Supriyo Datta

19. 2009 NCN@Purdue Summer School: Electronics from the Bottom Up

    0.0 out of 5 stars 

    Workshops | 09 Jul 2009 | Contributor(s):: Supriyo Datta, Mark Lundstrom, Muhammad A. Alam, Joerg Appenzeller

    The school will consist of two lectures in the morning on the Nanostructured Electronic Devices: Percolation and Reliability and an afternoon lecture on Graphene Physics and Devices. A hands on laboratory session will be available in the afternoons.

20. Colloquium on Graphene Physics and Devices

    5.0 out of 5 stars 

    Courses | 29 Jul 2009 | Contributor(s):: Joerg Appenzeller, Supriyo Datta, Mark Lundstrom

    This short course introduces students to graphene as a fascinating research topic as well as to develop their skill in problem solving using the tools and techniques of electronics from the bottom up.