This chapter, which brings together for the first time an account of GEC's research and development on semiconductor materials and devices from 1940 until 1984, is based on contributions from a number of colleagues including, particularly, Clive Foxell (now Managing Director for Engineering and Procurement in British Telecom), Ralph Knott (now Chief Engineer at Marconi Electronic Devices, Lincoln), and Jack Lamming and Frank Hilsden who are still at the Research Laboratories. Consideration was given to splitting the Chapter into sections on, for exam ple, diodes (microwave and power), transistors (signal and power), thyristors, and materials. There have been, however, so many interrelations between the technologies for various devices, and between developments in materials and devices, that it has proved better to write a single account which is mainly chronological. The narrative attempts to bring together related developments and, as a result, it is sometimes necessary to depart from strict chronological order. It is hoped that an understandable account is nevertheless given of individual developments over the years, against a background of broad ad vances in semiconductor technology and organisational changes which inevit ably influenced the programme from time to time.

Inspec keywords: thyristors; microwave diodes; history; power transistors; semiconductor materials; research and development; semiconductor technology

Other keywords: signal transistors; GEC research and development; semiconductor devices; microwave diodes; thyristors; chronological order; narrative attempts; power transistors; semiconductor materials; semiconductor technology; power diodes; organisational changes

Subjects: Biographical, historical, and personal notes