How is a transistor made? I guess there are a few times when you had to ask yourself how they are made. In this new article, we will be taking a look at the transistor-making process. We will also be looking at how the transistor works.
Transistors play major roles in electronic gadgets. They regulate the flow of current by allowing electrons to flow through them. This makes the major current regulating bodies of every electronic gadget.
What is a Transistor?
A transistor is a semiconductor device that regulates the flow of electric current. Depending on how the device is configured, the transistor can amplify or switch the electric current.
Transistors have a collector or source where their flow of current is received into the device. Then there is a base or gate which regulates the current flow. The emitter or sink is where the current exits the transistor.
There are different types of transistors that serve different purposes but the major use of them is to regulate the flow of current. Transistors have voltage limits so not every transistor can fit into any device. They are designed to only conduct a specific range of current so overvoltage will cause them to blast or burn out.
How are transistors made?
The base materials for making transistors are silicon and copper. Silicon comes from sand and so we could say sand is the base raw material for making transistors.
The reason why silicon is used is that silicon has semiconductor properties. This makes it the best material to use in making electronic devices that require a certain level of conduction.
The method of creating transistors in this modern era is known as photolithography. This method helps to also make transistors on the nano level. Very small but powerful transistors.
Photolithography involves a method where a photoresist is applied to the surface of a thin silicon wafer. The unwanted part of the silicon wafer is etched away and the holes are filled with alloy. The process is repeated with multiple layers of thin silicon wafers. When done, there is you have one solid component with two or three alloy terminals.
Even though the process might seem time-consuming and expensive but the precision of transistors made through this process is unmatched by other processes.
How it works
The major function of transistors is to serve as a gate for electronic signals. They open for the flow of current and close when there is no current. This process is repeated several times per second to make devices work.
Opening and closing several times per second is what causes devices like computers and other electronic appliances we know work the way we want them to.
Most transistors work in combination with other transistors to form what is called a “Logic gate”. The logic gate usually consists of a group of transistors working together.
One of the devices that uses a logic gate is the computer CPU. There are also thousands of tiny transistors in the computer CPU that help it to perform its tasks.