Integrated Circuit (IC)

Solid-state transistor (usually just called the transistor) was first found by Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain, three scientists Bell Laboratories in the United States, in the year 1948. It is not excessive to say that the transistor is one of the most important discoveries in the 20th century with the discovery of the structure of DNA technology and the Internet. Progress in technology, processing of materials (material processing) is always accompanied by increasingly canggihnya (more compact, fast, low power consumption) mikroprocessor, which is the brain of the computer. For example, the Pentium chip in 1993 can be found, while 3.1 million transistor Pentium M 2003, has around 77 million transistor.

In general, solid-state transistor that is used in a range of electronics made from semiconductor materials, especially Silicon. In addition to the functions of the electronic, semiconductor materials, especially the type of compound classes III and V (compound semiconductor), can also be used to make tools of solid-state light such as that issued the laser and LED (Light Emitting Diode). Together with Silicon, a semiconductor made of the elements of class III-V is also a key technology in the field of information technology lately.

The uniqueness of semiconductor materials other than the semiconductor can be changed konduktivitasnya (conductivity is the ability to bring the flow of electricity) by intentionally enter into the other elements of semiconductor crystals. This technique is called doping. Silicon crystals are 100% pure cargo have a neutral because all of Silicon valence electrons (there are 4 whole fruit) with a pair valence electron atom Silicon other. Therefore, the crystal has a pure Silicon cargo neutral, so that they can have a flow cargoes or to deliver electricity, should Silicon crystals are not purely made by the atom-atom from the other elements. When the doping with the group III atoms, such as Boron, Silicon crystals have a total cargo and positive if the by-doping group V atoms such as phosphorus, the total negative capacious. Silicon crystal that the total positive capacious called type I and type called a negative n.


If the electrical potential applied to the crystal Silicon, the flow of electricity on the type I and type I will be opposing each other. Placing the type of n and p type will result in a neighboring tool called a diode, which can be used as electronic switches. Contrasting with the diode that has a terminal 2 (p and n), has a transistor 3 (npn or pnp) and can be used as a switch (such as button on / off) or as an electric current amplifier (seumpama volume control on the radio). Currently, most of the transistor, which is in the digital network, such as mikroprocessor in the PC, the transistor is a type of MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor-Field-Effect transistor) made of bronze (metal), Silicon dioxide (oxide) and Silicon (semiconductor ), Which has in-DoPe. In making integrated circuit (IC), the first chip based on designing a series of specifications that have been determined. This design is usually done with the help of computer. Then the design will be sent to the IC factory, where the IC will be in manufacturing in a clean room (clean room) that the number of air particles have been controlled through the filter. Finally, the IC has so will be packaged in a package that is installed before we know the board series.

Pentium III
In the Pentium III chip (28 million transistor)

Traffic lights that use LED Silicon addition, compound semiconductor, such as GaAs is also used in making the laser diode, or LED. Breakthrough in the field of materials engineering, recently has blue LED using compound Gan, after dimungkinkannya for DoPe Gan-type p. With this discovery, now the LED is available in various colors, from blue (compound GAN) to red (compound InGaAlP). In Japan, in the next ten years to the buoy-planned traffic signs will be changed from a LED light usual. Than the normal light, the LED have more endurance, power consumption is lower, and the intensity of light so bright that is more suitable for applications such as traffic signs. Besides the LED, diode lasers used in fiber optic transmission system. Along with the increased bandwidth needs will be the Internet, fiber optics system is estimated to be the backbone infrastructure in the future of IT technology.

From the above examples, we can see how the tools of solid-state can be used to improve the quality of life of our day-to-day.

Transistor single atom Progress in this field of Nanotechnology has allowed scientists to control the materials in the super-accurate in the nanometer scale. Years ago, scientists from Cornell University in the U.S. successfully create a single-atom transistor (transistor single atom), made by the experts chemical engineer with local materials. When the voltage of electricity charged to the transistor, electrons flow between electrodes through the cobalt atom (blue in the image of old, middle) be refuted by the pyridine molecule (light blue). In the future breakthroughs in areas such as Nanotechnology will be able to produce this new application.