A computer chip is composed of millions of transistors that switch between two binary states (0 and 1), allowing the computer to perform operations. 2 Nearly every electronic device used today relies on transistors, including computers and televisions. The invention of the transistor transformed the possibilities for electronic devices electronic devices that previously relied on vacuum tubes could now be operated at a much higher frequencies with the use of transistors. Shockley invented the first germanium transistor. Extrapolating on the development of the germanium-based rectifier, J. 1 As a result, point contact rectifiers used for radar receivers during World War II were made of germanium. 2 Lark-Horovitz was the first to realize and tabulate the valuable properties of germanium, including its low melting point and relatively high stability. The worth of germanium did not become recognized until World War II when there was a need for high frequency rectifiers to achieve high resolution from radar receivers. 1 Today, germanium’s excellent electronic properties are exploited, as there is a growing demand for faster computers, higher efficiency photovoltaics, and more sensitive detectors. While today germanium is considered a valuable semiconductor, when it was originally discovered, it was believed to a weakly conducting metal without much use. Germanium, discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler, historically played an important role in what has come to be known as the “semiconductor age”.
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