01 / The world before
Vacuum tubes limited the size and reliability of devices.
02 / The discovery
Semiconductor research produced the transistor effect.
03 / The people
Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley and manufacturing teams.
04 / The obstacles
Mass production required materials and process innovation.
05 / The world after
Smaller, more reliable electronic circuits became possible.
06 / Why it still matters
Phones and computers contain enormous networks of transistors.