Present status of transistor development

The invention of the transistor provided a simple, apparently rugged device that could amplify — an ability in which the vacuum tube had long held a monopoly. As with most new electron devices, however, a number of extremely practical limitations had to be overcome before the transistor could be regarded as a practical circuit element. In particular: the reproducibility of units was poor — units intended to be alike were not interchangeable in circuits; the reliability was poor — in an uncomfortably large fraction of units made, the characteristics changed suddenly and inexplicably; and the “designability” was poor — it was difficult to make devices to the wide range of desirable characteristics needed in modern communications functions. This paper describes the progress that has been made in reducing these limitations and extending the range of performance and usefulness of transistors in communications systems. The conclusion is drawn that for some system functions, particularly those requiring extreme miniaturization in space and power as well as reliability with respect to life and ruggedness, transistors promise important advantages.