Transistors

In this week’s essay I will be writing about Transistors: what they are, what are they used for, and how they are made.

What are they and what are they used for?

A Transistor simply is a very small electronic component that can do two jobs, a Transistor can also work as an amplifier or switch. A Transistor is very small and it weighs 0.000000000000000000000000000001 kilograms! Even though they are small they are very important and powerful.

When a Transistor works as an amplifier it takes a very small amount of electric current on one end, or an input current, which produces a larger electric current. When a Transistor works as a switch it takes a small electric current in one part of the Transistor which makes a larger electric current go through a different part of the Transistor, so technically a small electric current switches on a larger electric current.

How Are They Made?

A Transistor is made out of silicon. Silicon is commonly found in sand, and it’s a semiconductor, so it’s not conductive like a mineral such as copper, but it’s also not insulating like plastic. But if you do a process known as doping(a process when you treat silicon with impurities), then the silicon gains some “free” electrons. The impurities commonly used to dope silicon are, arsenic and phosphorus, but different minerals such as boron, gallium, and aluminum can be used.

Conclusion

Transistors are very important for almost all electronics, without them the speed and accuracy of our electronics today would be impossible.