Germanium transistor demonstration device
date: label: Date made
content: 1954
name: label: maker
content: Texas Instruments
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This object is part of the amplifier for a 45 rpm record player used in demonstrations of silicon transistors' heat tolerance. The circuit on this paddle contains germanium grown junction transistors. A companion paddle, using some of the original experimental silicon transistors, was also used in the demonstration. The record player was operated using the germanium paddle. When the paddle was dipped into a beaker of hot oil, the germanium transistors heated up and the sound died out. The silicon amplifier paddle was then connected and the procedure repeated. As the silicon transistors heated up the sound continued with no change. This equipment was first used by Gordon Teal in his May 10, 1954 talk in which he announced that TI had silicon transistors in production. The demonstration was repeated numerous times for customer visits and trade exhibits.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Texas Instruments
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1987.0487.132
label: collector/donor number
content: G00436
label: accession number
content: 1987.0487
label: catalog number
content: 1987.0487.132
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Transistor Demonstration
label: Other Terms
content: Transistor Demonstration; Solid State; Microelectronics
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: germanium (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/4 in x 2 in x 9 1/8 in; 4.445 cm x 5.08 cm x 23.1775 cm