Transistors control the flow of electric current. They can be off or on.
Transistors can be thought of as switch like however they do not move.
A transistor uses one small electric current to create a larger electric current.
In a transistor there is pure silicon which is a semi conductor
which conducts electrons. Pure silicon atoms connect with
surrounding pure silicon atoms. This creates bonds in
the transistor. However, without impurities
in these bonds the electrons can not travel. This is why ‘doping’
is needed in pure silicon semi conductors. Adding an element
with more electrons (e.g. phosphorus) creates n-type semi conductors.
Adding an element with less electrons (e.g. Boron) creates p-type semi conductors. Now,
both n and p type silicon semi conductors have electrons which can move.
These two types of silicon are put together to
form the transistor. There is n-type silicon on the outside
and p-type silicon in the middle. The behavior of the electric charges
in the silicon lets the transistor control the flow of electricity
through it and whether it is on or off.
Transistors are important components in computers as they control
the flow of the electrical power. They send
signals to the computer, act as an on/off switch and
can be used to amplify electric currents. Without transistors
computer technology would not be advanced
as it is today and we would be working at a
much slower rate
