Okay, I'm showing my ignorance here (no surprise), but my question is:

Huh?:confused:

What the heck does Solid State mean? Is there Liquid State? Hollow State? Rickety State?

This has bugged me for a while and I figure you guys are the ones to provide the definitive answer!

Bob

Solid-state refers to electronic components, devices, and systems based entirely on the semiconductor.

In a solid-state component, the current is confined to solid elements and compounds engineered specifically to switch and amplify it. Current flows in two forms: as negatively charged electrons, and as positively charged electron deficiencies called holes. In some semiconductors, the current consists mostly of electrons; in other semiconductors, it consists mostly of holes. Both the electron and the hole are called charge carriers.

An example of a non-solid-state component is a cathode-ray tube (CRT). In this device, electrons flow freely through a vacuum from an electron gun, through deflecting and focusing fields, and finally to a phosphorescent screen.

Or simply, solid state means transistors, as opposed to vacuum tubes.

Clay

Thanks for the replies. Looks like my question was unclear.

I know that solid state refers to transistors rather than tubes. My question really is "what's solid"?

Bob:withstpd:

A solid element (not liquid and not gas) that lies about half-way between a perfect insulator and a perfect conductor are classified as a semiconductors.

Under certain conditions, a semiconductor's "conductability" (if such a word exists?) can be varied more to either end of this scale. It is this property that gives a semiconductor it's ability to amplify current.

Semiconductors are not normally natural elements that are solid matter but are modified (doped with other materials) to give them the specific properties that make them work.

Paul

My damn computer keeps locking up and spontaneously rebooting. This is not a good sign.

As Paul said, the most basic junction transistor design consists of three tiny layers of a solid silicon or germanium based compound stuck together. These layers are made in such a way that they are more or less heavily "doped", i.e. have more or less of a surplus of free electrons, so that a particular layer will want to either emit or collect those free electrons. The less heavily doped layer is also described as having "holes", or places for the electons to go to. The "emitter" layer and the "collector" layer are sandwiched around the "base" layer which is in the middle.

The base layer is biased in the circuit to control the flow of electrons between the emitter and collector.

Hope that helps!
Clay