Ohl, Russell
Published: August 18, 2006, 6:33 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 6:33 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
Russell Ohl (1898-1987), an American solid-state physicist who discovered the P-N barrier in silicon in 1940 while working at Bell Labs. The P-N junction played a crucial role in the ultimate development of transistor and solar cell technology. While experimenting with crystal growth, he noticed that the amount of current changed when the crystal was held under an incandescent lamp on the desk in the room; Ohl realized that it was in fact the light shining on the crystal that caused the small current to flow. This breakthrough led to the invention of the first transistor.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Ohl, Russell". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved May 22, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ohl,_Russell>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Russell Ohl (1898-1987), an American solid-state physicist who discovered the P-N barrier in silicon in 1940 while working at Bell Labs. The P-N junction played a crucial role in the ultimate development of transistor and solar cell technology. While experimenting with crystal growth, he noticed that the amount of current changed when the crystal was held under an incandescent lamp on the desk in the room; Ohl realized that it was in fact the light shining on the crystal that caused the small current to flow. This breakthrough led to the invention of the first transistor.
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