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Invention of the transistor

Invention of the transistor

William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain are testing the first working point-contact transistor at Bell Labs, marking a pivotal moment in technological history.

Setting

Bell Labs research laboratory, Murray Hill, New Jersey. A medium-sized room with high ceilings, lined with workbenches cluttered with electronic components, oscilloscopes, and testing equipment. The walls are painted a dull industrial green, and large windows let in the winter light.

Characters

The figures in this scene as an entity network — co-presence links everyone in the moment; speakers who trade lines are bound tighter. Turn the resolution dial to reveal depth the engine actually computed.

TNGF
SELECTED
William Shockley
primary
A tall, lean man in his late 30s with sharp features, piercing eyes, and a receding hairline. His posture is upright, exuding authority and confidence. He wears round, wire-framed glasses that often catch the light as he moves.
John Bardeen
primary
A slender man in his late 30s with a high forehead, thinning dark hair, and intense, thoughtful eyes behind round spectacles. His posture is slightly hunched from hours spent poring over equations and schematics.
Walter Brattain
secondary
A lean, wiry man in his mid-40s with sharp features and a receding hairline. His hands are calloused from years of handling delicate equipment, and his keen eyes are framed by round, wire-rimmed glasses. He has a slightly hunched posture from long hours at the workbench.
Lab Assistant
background
A young man in his early 20s, of average height with a lean build. His dark hair is neatly combed, and he wears round, wire-rimmed glasses that slightly magnify his attentive brown eyes. His hands are clean but show signs of frequent work with tools and equipment.

Dialog

William Shockley Bardeen, the amplification factor must exceed twenty—anything less is unacceptable. Adjust the germanium sample immediately.
John Bardeen The mathematics suggests a thinner oxide layer... but we'll need to recalibrate the voltage.
Walter Brattain Look at that signal jump! The point-contact’s stable now—gold foil’s holding.
William Shockley Don’t celebrate yet, Brattain. Consistency is what matters—run another series.
John Bardeen The carrier injection theory aligns... if we maintain this bias, the amplification should hold.
Walter Brattain Contacts are secure. One more adjustment... there. Signal’s clean.
William Shockley Good. Now document everything—this changes everything.

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Causal neighbors · 343 linked moments

F
First point-contact transistor demonstrated
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
Invention of the Transistor
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the point-contact transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
C
Completion of TRADIC, the First Transistor Computer
1954 · same location
P
Publication of Claude Shannon's 'A Mathematical Theory of Communication'
1948 · same location
I
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
1947 · same location
I
Invention of the Junction Transistor
1948 · same location
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · same location
D
Dawon Kahng and Martin Atalla present the MOSFET
1960 · same location
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · same location
Invention of the Transistor
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · same location
F
First point-contact transistor demonstrated
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
Invention of the Transistor
Invention of the Transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
I
Invention of the point-contact transistor
1947 · contemporaneous
Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence
Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence
1956 · same era
F
First Silicon Transistor Demonstration
1954 · same era
C
Completion of TRADIC, the First Transistor Computer
1954 · same era
P
Proposal for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence
1955 · same era
I
Invention of the Perceptron
1957 · same era
P
Publication of Claude Shannon's 'A Mathematical Theory of Communication'
1948 · same era
D
Dartmouth Workshop (Birth of AI)
1956 · same era
H
Harvard Mark I Operational
1944 · same era
E
ENIAC First Program Run
1945 · same era
D
Dartmouth Conference on Artificial Intelligence begins
1956 · same era
B
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
1941 · same era
H
Hindenburg disaster
1937 · same era