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transistor Definition

☆ tran·sis·tor (tran zis′tər, -sis′-)

noun

  1. a solid-state, electronic device, composed of semiconductor material, as germanium, silicon, etc., that controls current flow without use of a vacuum: transistors are similar in function to electron tubes, but have the advantages of being compact, long-lived, and low in power requirements
  2. popularly a transistorized radio

Etymology: tran(sfer) + (re)sistor: it transfers a current across a resistor

transistor Synonyms

transistor

n.

  1. An electronic device

    electron tube, conductor, semiconductor; see communications, electronics.

  2. *Radio

    portable, pocket radio, battery-powered radio; see radio 2.

transistor Telecom Definition
A contraction of trans-resistor, a transistor is a solid-state active device that controls current flow. A transistor comprises a semiconducting material, such as silicon or germanium, in three electrode regions with two junctions.The regions are alternately doped positive-negative-positive or negative-positivenegative in a semiconducting sandwich, so to speak. One outer region serves as the collector, the inner region as the base, and the other outer region as the emitter. The collector circuit collects power from the external power source, the base acts like a control electrode, and the emitter emits the outbound signal. Small signals applied between the base and the emitter control the larger currents and power from the collector, with a small change in the signal applied to the base producing a large and rapid change in the current flowing through the entire component. A transistor can operate linearly, like an audio amplifier, or like a switch, rapidly opening and closing an electronic gate. A transistor can act on a signal to perform a variety of functions such as amplification, rectification, modulation or demodulation, and buffering.The transistor was invented by William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Britain of AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, in 1947, and quickly replaced the electron tube, or vacuum tube.As a result of the 1956 Consent Decree, AT&T was forced to license the patented transistor technology to any company for $25,000. General Electric, IBM, Sony, and Texas Instruments are but a few of the companies that wrote a check. Large numbers of transistors are frequently interconnected with microcircuits and baked into a single integrated circuit, many of which can exist on a single circuit board in an electronic device such as a computer, switch, or router. See also amplifier, buffer, Consent Decree, current, modulation, patent, power, rectifier, and signal.
transistor Usage Examples

Preposition: on

  • chip: According to Moore's law, the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years.

Converse of object

  • switch: These sensors are supplied power by a switching transistor to conserve power with battery operated products.
  • replace: By the mid-1960's, the microchip was replacing the transistor.

Adjective modifier

  • bipolar: The result is that the bipolar transistor dies the " heat death " .
  • thin-film: Development of the " active matrix " LCD has been made possible with the advent of the thin-film transistor ( TFT ).
  • discrete: The circuit design uses discrete transistors, not an RF module.
  • thin: The network protocol used for the internet and for many local area computer networks TFT - Thin film transistor.
  • conventional: A voltage across the channel acted like a gate voltage in a conventional transistor, shutting off the flow of potassium ions.

Modifies a noun

  • amplifier: In fact, in practice, the devices are made up using transistor amplifiers.
  • radio: The poor man thought the transistor radio sets were barber's boxes!
  • circuit: Radio waves emitted by the EXIT would power a plastic transistor circuit a few centimeters across which was printed onto every product.
  • count: The total transistor count is 221 million, which means the actual chip is very big.
  • characteristic: Should particular methodologies or specific transistor characteristics be used?
  • design: In all, there are around 10 factors in transistor design that change with size.

Noun used with modifier

  • field-effect: Mike's PhD is on the synthesis of conjugated thiophene derivatives for use in field-effect transistors.
  • single-electron: I joined NPL in June 1997 to work on applications of single-electron transistors in precise measurement of small electrical currents.
  • p-n-p: To cut off a p-n-p transistor we make the base positive with respect to emitter.
  • germanium: It's quite easy to set the tester up to show thermal runaway in germanium transistors.
  • silicon: CMOS, which stands for complementary metal oxide semiconductor, is the technology base for silicon transistors.
  • electron: We aim to produce single electron transistors for high speed, low noise applications.