Let's begin this journey into the world of semiconductors with a look at the history books. In the early 1900s, not much was known of the world at an atomic level, and even less so at the subatomic level. Physics, to a large extent, still calmly followed classical rules. But new discoveries like Röntgen's x-rays, Thomson's electron and Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus made it clear that new rules were needed. Scientists like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Pauli and Heisenberg, to name a few, all contributed to the development and understanding necessary for the creation of the new paradigm of quantum physics. The development of quantum physics also laid the ground for 'Solid State Physics' which is a discipline explaining the internal atomic structure and the electronic properties of the materials that we see in our everyday life such as metals, plastics, glass, etc.



From left: Pauli, Einstein, Sally, Heisenberg, Planck, Röntgen



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