Do transistors calculate the output? If so, wouldn’t transistors be the most fundamental logic of computers?
Thanks.
In: Technology
I would say yes, transistors are the **most basic** fundamental building blocks of electronics.
They are usually constructed of pure silicon or a mix with germanium, both with semiconductor properties. A semiconductor is a material that has conductive properties between those of a conductor and an insulator. This means that regions of a semiconductor material can be “doped” — the creation of impurities in the silicon wafer.
In short, adjacent differently-doped regions can form “p-n junctions” (p for positive, n for negative). The positive side will lack electrons (as electrons are negative, an absence is represented as positive), while the negative side will have an abundance of electrons. Because of the potential to fill the empty electron positions in the positive side, electrons flow from the negative to the positive side — one direction only. This is, essentially, a diode. A common transistor consists of either a PNP or NPN junction.
A transistor is simply a “digital switch”. They have “terminals” for power (think of a battery) and one input. If this input is used, electricity will flow. Otherwise, the internal circuit will not complete, and no electricity will be outputted.
To create logic gates, the outputs of some transistors are tied to the inputs/power of others.
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