"Bipolar Special Issue Insert"

Welcome to the special audio insert in the commemorative issue of the bipolar transistor on its 50th birthday. At my invitation, both Professor Peter Asbeck from the University of California, San Diego and Professor Tohru Nakamura from Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan agreed to be guest editors for this issue. They have revisited the history of the device by inviting world famous engineers/scientists to contribute to the publication. Jim Early, after whom the famous "Early effect" in named, is one of the invited contributors. In his paper, Jim has quoted some versus from a song entitled "Hell's Bells Laboratory" written by Professor Ian Mackintosh. This just reinforces the realization that we are humans first and then technical professionals. As such, human aspects surrounding history making technical inventions, such as the TRANSISTOR, are very important to us. In here, you will find a hyperlink to the recording of the actual performance of this composition.

The first performance of this work of art was given at the Device Research Conference in Boulder Colorado in 1957 and played later at several EDS sponsored technical conferences. Many times we have been asked that this be shared on a wider basis with all EDS members. Hopefully, this web based publication will meet this request. Regarding some of the verbiage used in the lyrics, I would urge listeners to take it as a true reflection of history, giving them a first hand view of the social scene in those days. Please click here on Ian's gift (MP3 File - please contact your local computer administrator to get the appropriate plug in) to make the song come alive.

Renuka Jindal
Publications Chair, Electron Devices Society
Agere Systems / Lucent Technologies Bell Laboratories
600 Mountain Avenue
Murray Hill, NJ 07974, USA