Germanium transistors: logic circuits in the IBM 1401 computer

Re:Germanium transistors: logic circuits in the IBM 1401 com... by chmaynard on Wednesday March 03, 2021 @05:42PM (#26335862)

Off topic: I understand that William Shockley was interested in exploring germanium semiconductors, which may have been a contributing factor in the exodus of eight of his senior scientists and engineers to form Fairchild Semiconductor. Could you comment?

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Re:Germanium transistors: logic circuits in the IBM 1401 com... by kens on Wednesday March 03, 2021 @06:20PM (#26336266)

I haven't heard anything about Shockley wanting to explore germanium. My understanding is the "Traitorous Eight" left both because of personality conflicts with Shockley and because he was focusing too much on his 4-layer diode instead of transistors.

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Re:Germanium transistors: logic circuits in the IBM 1401 com... by UserForANow on Thursday March 04, 2021 @03:23AM (#26340019)

Seymour Cray expressed interest in germanium transistors in some speeches I have seen on Youtube. Mainly because of switching speed of germanium

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