Jeri homebrews some point-contact transistors

Science Technology

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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November 4th, 2010 8

Jeri’s at it again, this time, cracking open some 1N34 diodes to harvest the germanium to build a crude transistor. Before that, she does a really nice job sketching out the basic physics behind semi-conductor operation. And she does get her point-contact transistor to work. Crude, but it works! Kudos, as always, Jeri!

Make a Point Contact Transistor at Home

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Lost Knowledge: Homemade electronic components

Tagged Electronics