Podcasts Technology How Semiconductors and Transistors Work
How Semiconductors and Transistors Work

How Semiconductors and Transistors Work

21 episodes

This podcast is drawn from the "Virtual Lab" of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. This Virtual Lab uses 3D virtual reality animations to explain electronics, microelectronics and nanotechnology. This podcast explains how semiconductors work and how they are made into the transistor switches that power modern integrated cirtuits.

Podcasts

Here is our do it yourself silicon atom kit

Published: July 24, 2017, 3:15 p.m.
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

First, let's make the nucleus of the atom

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 5 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Add the first two electrons

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

And six more

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

And finally the four bonding electrons

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 9 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Move them farther apart

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 3 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Make a 2nd atom and form a bond

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 9 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Start to make a crystal

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 3 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Take a look at its planes and facets

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 16 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Make a bar of silicon crystal

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 7 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Create a donor atom with 5 bonding electrons

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Put it into the silicon crystal

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

The donor's electron starts to wander

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

More donors => a cloud of electrons

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 9 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Put donor atoms into the other end of the bar

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 7 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Does the bar conduct? Not yet!

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

But add metal plate just above the bar . . .

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 6 seconds

Listed in: Technology

The positive plate draws in the electrons

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 5 seconds

Listed in: Technology

Completing this MOS transistor

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 10 seconds

Listed in: Technology

This podcast is drawn from the Virtual Lab presentations of WeCanFigureThisOut.org. The copyrighted material of this site was developed under funding from National Science Foundation CCLI, NIRT, MRSEC and NUE programs. This project is led by John C. Bean

Published: July 24, 2017, noon
Duration: 33 seconds

Listed in: Technology

All of the scenes together

Published: July 24, 2017, 11:59 a.m.
Duration: 2 minutes 54 seconds

Listed in: Technology