William Shockley developed the theory of semiconductor p-n junctions and junction transistors. Forward bias injects minority carriers across a junction; diffusion and recombination then determine how those carriers move through the neighboring material. In a transistor, a thin base allows much of the injected population to reach the collecting junction, making one electrical signal control another. The theory connects junction structure and carrier transport with quantitative current-voltage behavior.[ref]
The Theory of p-n Junctions in Semiconductors and p-n Junction Transistors by William Shockley. Bell System Technical Journal 28, 435–489 (1949), junction injection and transistor transport
Portrait of William Shockley
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William Shockley was an American physicist and inventor, known primarily for his work in the field of semiconductor technology. He was one of the co-inventors of the bipolar junction transistor (BJT) in 1947, an invention that revolutionized the electronics industry and laid the groundwork for modern electronics, including computers.
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