#Bell Labs

A measured record drawing of the December 1947 point-contact transistor apparatus: a small germanium slab, a plastic wedge holding a slit strip of gold foil pressed onto its surface, with dimension lines marking the narrow gap between the two gold contact points, and a magnified detail view still in graphite construction lines below it

The Transistor Wasn't Invented Once — It Was Invented Twice

Bardeen and Brattain proved the point-contact effect worked in December 1947 without Shockley in the room. The industry runs on the junction device he built six weeks later, after being left off that patent.

By Brecht Corbeel · August 26, 2026 · 7 min read

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