ge first transistors

[Chuck Guzis]

On 11/14/19 6:22 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:

> Neat.  Speaking of old semiconductor history, I'd love to see again the description (data sheet or magazine article, I'm no longer sure) that my father had, about FETs made from copper oxide.  Possibly before the 1940s, I don't remember.  I've had no luck tracking any of this down.
> 

Julius Edgar Lilienfeld filed a patent in 1925 (US 1745175)

Also US 1900018 and an interesting derivative US US1877140.

Also, Lilienfeld was the inventor of the electrolytic capacitor.

I'm not sure about the exact copper-oxide FET article, it's not a dead
topic; see: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.3589374

I'm surprised that Brattain, Shockley et al. are regarded in higher
regard by the history writers, particularly because they were aware of
Lilienfeld's early work and worded their patent to avoid prior art issues.

I'd ask one of today's historians which transistor type occurs in the
greatest numbers today--I suspect it's FET by a long shot over BJT.

--Chuck