GERMANIUM AND SILICON TRANSISTOR DEVELOPMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005600260009-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 7, 2007
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 10, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

'SUBJECT
PLACE
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Approved For Release 2007/11/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005600260009-6
CLASSIFICATION S ca 1'
C'ENTRAL,,`INTELLIGE-NCE -AGENCY REPORT
Agb~ MAT N REPORT' O..
1 N
MIS tMeNURRT COIITAIRS I%PORRAbOR AFVECTIRO TN.
of TMe oIITEO STATES. WITHIN TOR YEARIR6 or TITLE
item* EV AW TRa RE-R000CTON of THIS i
Germanium a NO. OF PAGES 3
Development
1. Transistors have oped in E
Bauelemente der teehnik
Dralowid), in Tel :B V erk f
in Berlin-Obers h Some?tr7
carried out in the Aca. .Institute
Solids in Berlin-Buch.
eta while
iet~ inve
r erlt pro
carried
nd the o
an cove
Sect was
of allow
in the w
d. Tran
upervise
rvisiont
t soviet
exclusive
a Falter,
e conside
re a earch
CLASSIFICATION S~r P r
NAVY IT N.iR6 DISTRIBUTION
.C' _ F0
DATE DISTR
NO, OF ENCLS..
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO
NEVALUATEI' INFORMATION
ny by VEB Werk fuer
ssietzky" (formerly
ldewesen (former 03v+)
research has-also been
arch on the Physics of
2. The OSv; enterprise ob
JAG administratiorr.
J)MF: per year, in t
itiated by the So
one working for t
development for th
the fact that the
ures and details'o
to anyone n
ever were somehow
enter,rise at that
ress w S made unde
after Dr. Bingel w
enterprise was ret
ooviets withdrew t
etary alloc;.tione
ment was to be con
in the meantime, D
o;)ment of thq fi
rient :f the device
Dr. Richter (fnu),
own and in the late summer of 1954 yucca ded in cow leting 1+~boratory
samples of transistors. In September 1954, the Last C-rman Cov-
er ment wa. requested to decide whet,zer transistor production should
be carried out at Dra:lowid or OSW or at both plants. Iri ord-,r to de-
cide this , a session of "Arbeitskreis' Riehthaluleiter" WfLe
called, with representatives of the State Plannin.- Commi::si:n present.
ARtAY .:.1A C2 2 (1 ~T 1+!rj
arch and development
erpris was still under
go - up to 100,000
ter a project wf:.s in-
two parallel Work Groups,
carrying out the same
ifficulties arose from
by strict secrecy meas-
divulped
se difficulties, how-
volopment in the 037"
ingel (fnu). No prog-
made
ons and after the 0SW
ion. In late 19;3, the
se and cut off all mon-
e, transistor develo)-
Dralowid plant, where,
he research and devel-
ogress inthe develop-
der the supervision of
stor development on its
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10 Jan-~ar,i
25X1
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Approved For Release 2007/11/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005600260009-6
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Both enterprises demonstrated sample circuits in which transistors produced
by then e;o:?e used., l,#~ a result of this test, a ~,reliminary decision
was rcc,ched that the manufc.rciire of transistors wiould ir. the future be, car--
ried out by the Dralowid plant only and that all monetary allocations for
this urpose by the East German govt:rnment would go there. This decision,
ho.:ev -,r. is subject to revision by the government..
3.. The Dralowid plant, which, started transistor develo::ment much :later than
the C3 enter-Irise, succeeded in producing' development samples darinr, the
first Dart of 1;54,, The plan, in this enterprise rr::s to develop transistors
of stable (It.alities by the and of 19 4, so that fu.li-fledged production
could begin in `955- As of : a,rly Rovomber 1954 this Goal had been r ?cched
Production of transistors at Dr: torrid was tlu start 'soong pos_.ibly. even in
19:4 Dralowid was atle to start fullfledged prdduction of transistors
u ^ to maximum frequency of. tC mcs with an output amplification, between
100 nd 1, 000 mcv,,
In addition to the wrork co germanium transistor- lescribed above, UV,.
rs.;. ter's ie;)artr ent h; s a carried cut 'development of silicon tr:.n i 7-=
tors, but this has not- orc.6rc s..ed beyond ix' s' initial stages, r_s of early
Novemb r 1954, it had burl aboMdoned entirely and work v:~ s exclu:?ively
concentr ted on e.ermanium tranaistors~ The reasons for discontinuation
of silicon transistor, develop
nt were;
a., Dralowid had encugh l;ormanium and hoped to be able to obtal,.
sufficient amounts in the future for roduction. %s of early
November 1954', the plant had abq' t 'Ono kilogram of Bert ani um
of 99, 99?' purity, delivered by the firm Fr~_nicc in Frankfurt/
".:cin, This firm had also made ,;or anium deliv rice to Drailowrid
previously,
b.? Because of the higher meting -)oint of silicon as corm,-.ared with
that of i,-ernan .um?, the rn,tt:ing oft very Pure s licon monocrysr
tals presents more tec?ioloffal aif f'ic zlties than the r::at:inz;
of rer::.c,nium mo:-,ocrystals., n,w
The transistors so far developod in Germany are all point.>cont c-d
troonListcr..,.. --s of ?:~arly November 1~?54 Dr. Falter wo:; also ors-:, (I i.n
the 'eve'cpcm6nt of ?unotie typc i,rarsistor .2bu`t thi:; work has ',o ?o" been
unsuc::essf'uuw Dr., Falt%-r rd. only -,ucce edo:i in corn lotin the f.r:.f;
r. t' is direction by develo,)ing 'layer rectifiers (Flaechenpleio-hrichter?', from n-Curran. (h,n,.
.iTAc: indium., These rectifiers w.ii Co into full-scaj.e _)rod ct' vn.. can !,e cpc:: aced F:itr: inv' rse velta(.e up to 1 ,ooo volts anc3 they h ve V
:;trcn?; photo=?eff,cts. i.e... the reversed current is increased through ilYu-
mi.n,:ticn with li ;t:t beyond the 1 _ir it of v-fsibilit:,, ~p to t-,- micron v~:4a
len tho . r.. Fal u~.r furtkermorc tried to develo. junetiorn-type tr nsi::tors
by v pcri --.i.n(; elements :;f the third gr_;up u::on both sides of n:?; c1:.:..niu ,
and n lessen t s of the fifth trcu.,, tapo,n both sides of p ,gc;rr .iniua cry:>L+- is
in t' ?r.tcu,;rn, and by having; the--e'
he--e elemer_ S -diffused into the er, ste at
te3:, eratures just below the neltint; ,point of -~rmaniuri. The .E: at'c s,
ho. Fever, f iled bec:_uso.Dr. Falter as not able to obtain well,-dE:finc,k.
;nvcrsLo layers in this wry. Th. nttenpts at Dr. lowid to de'?elo
t,.on-type ?;ermanium trOisistors were to be contirn;ed. Dr. F:.item is r. sf.st ;d
in tLic, work by ~:;ather-:._tici.an G.. Raabe and ,h sici;:t Ftl nxc.~~:rr
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s
Transistor reagazcb ccrri ,{i but in-the i cademy Institute for Medicine
and Biology A&-Berlin Ruch up to early November 19`4 had not prcl,-res ed
beyond. the stage of ppre:-::,rin )ure Cermsnium Donocrystals s itabie for
u6e as Iran: istors . The E1ect7onics Departrr ont ofthis i* tt tote waB en -
Cat ed ir} ea November 19;4. in rieasurinc the -:rarity and other qualities
of the monocr