Transistors
are tiny electrical devices that can be found in everything from radios to
robots. They have two key properties: 1) they can amplify an electrical
signal and 2) they can switch on and off, letting current through or blocking
it as necessary.
The
basic element in an integrated circuit. An on/off switch
(consisting of three layers of a semiconductor material) that consists of a
source (where electrons
come from), a drain (where they go) and a gate
that controls the flow of electrons
through a channel that connects the source and the drain. There are two kinds
of transistor, the bipolar transistor (also called the junction transistor),
and the field effect transistor (FET).
The
basic element in an integrated circuit. An on/off switch
(consisting of three layers of a semiconductor material) that consists of a
source (where electrons
come from), a drain (where they go) and a gate
that controls the flow of electrons
through a channel that connects the source and the drain. There are two kinds
of transistor, the bipolar transistor (also called the junction transistor),
and the field effect transistor (fet).