The Fairchild 2N1613 - The First Planar Transistor

About this Artwork This artwork is a mixed media display celebrating the first planar transistor. The planar transistor is not a type of transistor in terms of function but refers to the manufacturing process. At Fairchild Semiconductor, Jean Hoerni invented the planar transistor in 1959. The Fairchild 2N1613 planar junction transistor was introduced in 1960. Prior to the planar transistor, transistors were created in crystal formations that were somewhat three-dimensional. The planar transistor was created in a more two-dimensional, or planar, fashion that was easier to manufacture and had a much longer lifetime. The transistor was built with layers of doped silicon and aluminum. Layers of silicon dioxide were used as insulators and guides for etching. The invention of the planar transistor was the quantum jump in technology needed to create the silicon integrated circuit. It was a natural extension when Robert Noyce used Hoerni's method to connect multiple transistors together to cre