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2) The strips were then cut into
pieces about 1/8” wide. The next task was to actually make the shape of
the points at the end of the strips, but first I would drill holes in each
end of the fiber where the strips attached to the fiber so that the header
leads could be inserted and soldered to the points.
3) We would then do cutting and
shaping of the points in the same operation. I’d use a microscope and cut,
by hand, each point to the correct shape and also make sure that the ends
of the strips where attached to the fiber were separated.
4) I’d clean the headers and
then bend and form to fit the points. I’d cut the header leads and shape
the base lead into a small circle to fit the heat sink base that the
germanium wafer was mounted on. Next, I’d etch and clean all the material
to get ready for final assembly.
5) Finally, I’d mount (solder)
the base and point contacts in place. Under a microscope, I’d adjust the
points on top of the germanium wafer to about 5 mils apart. We’d use LePage
cement to hold the points in place. Once dried, we canned the transistors
in oil for heat sink purposes.
Personal
Recollections About The TI Point Contact Transistor Program
After serving for almost four
years during WWII in the South Pacific, I returned home to Matador, Texas in September, 1945. I got advice to get training as a certified watchmaker, which I
did. In Dallas, I
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