How do transistors work, anyway? #Transistors #Semiconductors
The invention of the electronic circuit changed the world. In just over a century, electronic devices upended almost every aspect of our lives — from transportation, to medicine, to the way we interact with each other and have fun.
Despite this, a firm grasp of electronics remains elusive for most. I’m confident that much of the blame lies with the hydraulic analogy — a reimagining of electronic circuits as series of tubes. The hydraulic analogy is seductive to textbook authors but quickly spring leaks. By the time you get to transistors, you’re constructing bizarre two-stage water valves that don’t truly emulate semiconductors — and would give your plumber a headache, too.
The mechanics of transistors remain mystifying to most hobbyists, making it hard to comprehend the operation of fundamental devices such as operational amplifiers. In this post, I’m hoping to shed some light on the topic — hopefully without bringing up wave functions or partial differential equations, but also without fetching my plumbing wrench.
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