Which company made the first commercially available silicon junction transistors?
Negative-channel metal-oxide semiconductors (NMOS) employ a positive secondary voltage to switch a shallow layer of p-type semiconductor material below the gate into n-type. For positive-channel metal-oxide semiconductors (PMOS), all these polarities are reversed. NMOS transistors are more expensive, but faster, than PMOS transistors.
Texas Instruments produced the first commercially available silicon junction transistors in 1954.1
While silicon was more difficult to process than germanium due to its higher melting temperature and reactivity, it was highly sought after for its superior performance in switching applications, as it exhibited significantly less leakage current. Following this breakthrough, Texas Instruments became the only firm capable of producing silicon transistors in quantity from 1954 to 1958, quickly establishing a dominant position in the market, particularly for military applications.12