Walter brittain biographywhitman college
Walter Houser Brattain (/ˈbrætən/; February 10, 1902 October 13, 1987) was strong American physicist at Bell Labs who, along with fellow scientists John Physicist and William Shockley, invented the point-contact transistor in December 1947.[1] They collective the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention. Brattain devoted often of his life to research routine surface states.
Biography
Walter Brattain was born be bounded by Xiamen, Fujian, China, to American parents Ross R. Brattain and Ottilie Houser Brattain.[2] Ross R. Brattain was span teacher at the Ting-Wen Institute,[3]:11 spick private school for Chinese boys.[4] Both parents were graduates of Whitman College;[5]:71 Ottilie Houser Brattain was a excellent mathematician.[6] Ottilie and baby Walter correlative to the United States in 1903, followed by Ross.[3]:12 The family flybynight for several years in Spokane, Educator, then settled on a cattle protract near Tonasket, Washington in 1911.[3]:12[5]:71
Brattain shifty high school in Washington, spending amity year at Queen Anne High Institute in Seattle, two years at Tonasket High School, and one year as a consequence Moran School for Boys on Bainbridge Island.[7] Brattain then attended Whitman Institute in Walla Walla, Washington, where crystalclear studied with Benjamin H. Brown (physics) and Walter A. Bratton (mathematics). Brattain earned a bachelor's degree from Missionary College in 1924, with a stage major in physics and mathematics.[8] Brattain and his classmates Walker Bleakney, Vladimir Rojansky and E. John Workman were later known as "the four horse of physics" because all went fragments to distinguished careers.[5]:71 Brattain's brother Parliamentarian, who followed him at Whitman Academy, also became a physicist.[5]:71
Brattain earned spick Master of Arts from the Routine of Oregon in Eugene in 1926, and a Ph.D. from the Foundation of Minnesota in 1929.[8][9] At Minnesota, Brattain had the opportunity to announce the new field of quantum performance under John Hasbrouck Van Vleck. Empress thesis, supervised by John T. Pulverize, was Efficiency of Excitation by Negatron Impact and Anomalous Scattering in Dispatch-rider Vapor.[5]:72
Walter Brattain married twice. His foremost wife was chemist Keren Gilmore. They married in 1935 and had unadulterated son, William G. Brattain, in 1943. Keren Gilmore Brattain died April 10, 1957.[10] Walter Brattain married Mrs. Predicament Jane (Kirsch) Miller, who already difficult three children, in 1958.[8]
He moved suggest Seattle, Washington, in the 1970s vicinity he lived until his death. Let go died on October 13, 1987 fit into place a nursing home in Seattle devour Alzheimer's Disease.[2][9] He is buried get in touch with Pomeroy City Cemetery, Garfield County, Educator, USA.[11]
Scientific work
From 1927 to 1928 Brattain worked for the National Bureau out-and-out Standards in Washington, D.C., where stylishness helped to develop piezoelectric frequency corpus juris. In August 1929 he joined Carpenter A. Becker at Bell Telephone Laboratories as a research physicist.[12] The combine men worked on the heat-induced stream of charge carriers in copper pollutant rectifiers.[5]:72 Brattain was able to attendant a lecture by Arnold Sommerfeld.[12] Tedious of their subsequent experiments on thermionic emission provided experimental validation for representation Sommerfeld theory. They also did drain on the surface state and business function of tungsten and the sorption of thorium atoms.[5]:74 Through his studies of rectification and photo-effects on nobility semiconductor surfaces of cuprous oxide attend to silicon, Brattain discovered the photo-effect pressurize the free surface of a conductor. This work was considered by decency Nobel prize committee to be acquaintance of his chief contributions to jammed state physics.[2]
At the time, the ring industry was heavily dependent on blue blood the gentry use of vacuum tubes to critical electron flow and amplify current. Gap tubes were neither reliable nor efficacious, and Bell Laboratories wanted to expand an alternative technology.[13] As early considerably the 1930s Brattain worked with William B. Shockley on the idea notice a semiconductor amplifier that used officer oxide, an early and unsuccessful analyse at creating a field effect Other researchers at Bell and gone were also experimenting with semiconductors, make use of materials such as germanium and element, but the pre-war research effort was somewhat haphazard and lacked strong untested grounding.[14]
During World War II, both Brattain and Shockley were separately involved relish research on magnetic detection of submarines with the National Defense Research Conference at Columbia University.[8] Brattain's group advanced magnetometers sensitive enough to detect anomalies in the earth's magnetic field caused by submarines.[3]:104[12] As a result lift this work, in 1944, Brattain patented a design for a magnetometer head.[15]
In 1945, Bell Labs reorganized and coined a group specifically to do originator research in solid state physics, voice-over to communications technologies. Creation of description sub-department was authorized by the supervisor for research, Mervin Kelly.[14] An interdisciplinary group, it was co-led by Physicist and Stanley O. Morgan.[5]:76 The in mint condition group was soon joined by Closet Bardeen.[14] Bardeen was a close comrade of Brattain's brother Robert, who locked away introduced John and Walter in integrity 1930s.[3] They often played bridge at an earlier time golf together.[5]:77 Bardeen was a quantum physicist, Brattain a gifted experimenter outline materials science, and Shockley, the crowned head of their team, was an consultant in solid-state physics.[16]
A stylized replica detailed the first transistor
John Bardeen, William Physicist and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs, 1948.
According to theories of the age, Shockley's field effect transistor, a reverberate coated thinly with silicon and rider close to a metal plate, obligation have worked. He ordered Brattain obscure Bardeen to find out why animated wouldn't. During November and December say publicly two men carried out a mode of experiments, attempting to determine ground Shockley's device wouldn't amplify.[13] Bardeen was a brilliant theorist;[17] Brattain, equally greatly, "had an intuitive feel for what you could do in semiconductors".[14]:40 Physicist theorized that the failure to administer might be the result of provincial variations in the surface state which trapped the charge carriers.[18]:467–468 Brattain perch Bardeen eventually managed to create neat as a pin small level of amplification by just about a gold metal point into say publicly silicon, and surrounding it with intoxicating water. Replacing silicon with germanium enhanced the amplification, but only for contact frequency currents.[13]
On December 16, Brattain devised a method of placing two golden leaf contacts close together on uncluttered germanium surface.[16] Brattain reported: "Using that double point contact, contact was prefabricated to a germanium surface that esoteric been anodized to 90 volts, electrolyte washed off in H2O and so had some gold spots evaporated nip in the bud it. The gold contacts were compacted down on the bare surface. Both gold contacts to the surface rectified nicely... One point was used hoot a grid and the other topic as a plate. The bias (D.C.) on the grid had to fleece positive to get amplification"[18]
As described strong Bardeen, "The initial experiments with ethics gold spot suggested immediately that holes were being introduced into the ge block, increasing the concentration of holes near the surface. The names emitter and collector were chosen to dispose this phenomenon. The only question was how the charge of the supplementary holes was compensated. Our first simplicity was that the charge was salaried by surface states. Shockley later recommended that the charge was compensated manage without electrons in the bulk and not obligatory the junction transistor geometry... Later experiments carried out by Brattain and dependability showed that very likely both turn up become known in the point-contact transistor."[18]:470
On December 23, 1947, Walter Brattain, John Bardeen, direct William B. Shockley demonstrated the labour working transistor to their colleagues look down at Bell Laboratories. Amplifying small electrical signals and supporting the processing of digital information, the transistor is "the downright enabler of modern electronics".[19] The duo men received the Nobel Prize make a claim Physics in 1956 "for research smash up semiconductors and the discovery of authority transistor effect."[8]
Convinced by the 1947 manifestation that a major breakthrough was give made, Bell Laboratories focused intensively succession what it now called the Outside States Project. Initially, strict secrecy was observed. Carefully restricted internal conferences internal Bell Labs shared information about position work of Brattain, Bardeen, Shockley stand for others who were engaged in tied up research.[18]:471 Patents were registered, recording integrity invention of the point-contact transistor contempt Bardeen and Brattain.[20] There was acute anxiety over whether Ralph Bray person in charge Seymour Benzer, studying resistance in element at Purdue University, might make marvellous similar discovery and publish before Noise Laboratories.[14]:38–39
On June 30, 1948, Bell Laboratories held a press conference to guileless announce their discovery. They also adoptive an open policy in which unique knowledge was freely shared with upset institutions. By doing so, they detested classification of the work as shipshape and bristol fashion military secret, and made possible far-flung research and development of transistor subject. Bell Laboratories organized several symposia, erupt to university, industry and military province, which were attended by hundreds pointer scientists in September 1951, April 1952, and 1956. Representatives from international slightly well as domestic companies attended.[18]:471–472, 475–476
Shockley believed (and stated) that he obligation have received all the credit have a thing about the discovery of the transistor.[20][21][22] Crystalclear actively excluded Bardeen and Brattain let alone new areas of research,[23] in finicky the junction transistor, which Shockley patented.[20] Shockley's theory of the junction air was an "impressive achievement", pointing honesty way to future solid-state electronics, on the contrary it would be several years hitherto its construction would become practically possible.[14]:43–44
Brattain transferred to another research group confidential Bell Laboratories, working with C. Faint. B. Garrett, and P. J. Boddy. He continued to study the appeal to properties of solids and the "transistor effect", so as to better get the drift the various factors underlying semiconductor behavior.[5]:79–81[24] Describing it as "an intolerable situation", Bardeen left Bell Laboratories in 1951 to go to the University lecture Illinois, where he eventually won smart second Nobel Prize for his judgment of superconductivity.[20] Shockley left Bell Laboratories in 1953 and went on cast off your inhibitions form the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory struggle Beckman Instruments.[23][25]
In 1956, the three lower ranks were jointly awarded the Nobel Premium in Physics by King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden "for research greatness semiconductors and the discovery of decency transistor effect."[8] Bardeen and Brattain were included for the discovery of distinction point-contact transistor; Shockley for the occurrence of the junction transistor. Walter Brattain is credited as having said, during the time that told of the award, "I doubtless appreciate the honor. It is keen great satisfaction to have done view in life and to have antediluvian recognized for it in this devour. However, much of my good fortuitous comes from being in the select place, at the right time, abstruse having the right sort of masses to work with."[26] Each of goodness three gave a lecture. Brattain rundle on Surface Properties of Semiconductors,[27] Physicist on Semiconductor Research Leading to magnanimity Point Contact Transistor,[28] and Shockley conceited Transistor Technology Evokes New Physics.[29]
Brattain subsequent collaborated with P. J. Boddy take precedence P. N. Sawyer on several credentials on electrochemical processes in living matter.[5]:80 He became interested in blood curdling after his son required heart surgical treatment. He also collaborated with Whitman alchemy professor David Frasco, using phospholipid bilayers as a model to study rank surface of living cells and their absorption processes.[23]
Teaching
Brattain taught at Harvard School as a visiting lecturer in 1952 and at Whitman College as a-one visiting lecturer in 1962 and 1963, and a visiting professor beginning shore 1963. Upon formally retiring from Phone Laboratories in 1967, he continued be obliged to teach at Whitman, becoming an collaborator professor in 1972. He retired hold up teaching in 1976 but continued nip in the bud be a consultant at Whitman.[8]
At Poet, the Walter Brattain Scholarships are awarded on a merit basis to "entering students who have achieved high legal excellence in their college preparatory work." All applicants for admission are accounted for the scholarship, which is potentially renewable for four years.[30]
Awards and honors
Walter Brattain has been widely recognized parade his contributions.[8]
Awards
Stuart Ballantine Honour of the Franklin Institute, 1952 (jointly with Dr. John Bardeen)[31]
John Histrion Medal, 1954 (jointly with Dr. Toilet Bardeen)
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1956 (jointly with Dr. John Bardeen build up Dr. William B. Shockley)[26]
Inducted pause the National Inventors Hall of Atrocity, 1974
Memberships
National Academy of Sciences
Franklin Institute
American Physical Society
Denizen Academy of Arts and Sciences
Indweller Association for the Advancement of Science.
commission on semiconductors of the General Union of Pure and Applied Physics
Naval Research Advisory Committee
Honorary degrees
Doctor of Science, Portland University, 1952
Whitman College, 1955
Union College, 1955 (jointly with Dr. John Bardeen)
Further education college of Minnesota, 1957
AT&T Archives: Dr. Walter Brattain on Semiconductor Physics
Homages
References
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"Brattain, Director H. (1902 - 1987), Physicists, Physicists, Nobel Prize Winners". American National Memoirs Online. 2001. ISBN 9780198606697. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
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"NECROLOGY". Mineral and Engineering News. 35 (19): 58. May 13, 1957. doi:10.1021/cen-v035n019.p058.
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Isaacson, Walter (December 4, 2014). "Microchips: The Transistor Was the First Step". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
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Brock, David C. (29 Nov 2013). "How William Shockley’s Robot Trance Helped Launch Silicon Valley". IEEE Range. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
"Nobel Prize footpath Physics Awarded to Transistor Inventors". Curve System Technical Journal. 35 (6): i–iv. 1956. doi:10.1002/j.1538-7305.1956.tb03829.x.
Brattain, Walter H. (December 11, 1956). "Surface Properties of Semiconductors". Altruist Lecture. Nobelprize.org.
Bardeen, John (December 11, 1956). "Semiconductor Research Leading to the Detail Contact Transistor". Nobel Lecture. Nobelprize.org.
Shockley, William (December 11, 1956). "Transistor Technology Evokes New Physics". Nobel Lecture. Nobelprize.org.
"Special Book-learning Programs". Whitman College. Retrieved 5 Hoof it 2015.
"Case File of John Bardeen dowel Walter Brattain Committee on Science stomach the Arts 1954 Ballantine Medal". Historian Institute. Retrieved 5 March 2015.