How Does a Transistor Work?

[@kenj0418]

Video: "A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track." Me: *Looks nervously at how old this video is now*

[@hdjekso7930]

@@KajoFox lmao amd is already at 7nm

[@elevenz367]

we need to start investing in grapes for the 2nm manufacturing process

[@GanjaLibre]

also when he says 22 nm, I think "wait a second, this is wrong! intel I9 is 10 nm and AMD Ryzen 3rd gen is 7!" then I saw the date of the video and realized we are really close to the limit

[@baphometpresidente4637]

me too 🤣 may be trump will extend it a bit to 20 years 😃

[@grozymalkozy6435]

*o boi*

[@andro293]

I waited my whole life to see Derek dressed as a sillicon atom

[@100Hasake]

Im no longer a furry, I am attracted to men dressed up as scientific concepts

[@hubb8049]

He's so hot 🥵

[@treasuretotrash2067]

I love silicon atoms. So hot

[@amishpatel124]

@@hubb8049 very

[@imperialeagle564]

No u didn't

[@mikecarroll757]

In this 6 minute video, I learned more about transistors, and understood better how they work, than in a semester of my electronics class.

[@RenaldoXhahu]

***** Same ahahah. I actually came here to study for my test tomorrow XD

[@mikecarroll757]

Renaldo Xhahu good luck :) I did the same thing for my final exam and did well so hopefully you do the same

[@RenaldoXhahu]

ahahaa thanks :)

[@wsnkurn]

***** ys me too! haha

[@EDUARDO12348]

+Mike Carroll but I wonder why it has to be that way. I think schools are failing to make their teachings relevant and so students are demotivated to learn. On the other hand, thinking about millions of transistor in a chip is mind blowing.

[@pushkarkhanal4340]

From 22nm 10 years ago when this video was made, to IBM's new 2nm chip, the fundamental principle is still simple yet groundbreaking.

[@Skitzyzzy]

2NM??? SOON YOU PROBABLY WONT BE ABLE TO SEE IT WITH A MICROSCOPE!

[@Splarkszter]

​@@Skitzyzzy Lmao you can't see them with one 10 years ago eithe, visible light is over the 200nm mark. Only electron microscopes could.

[@ayushjha2345]

I understand both the points. Whether we talk about 22nm or 2nm, both are incredibly small to see. But in the future where 0.5nm or 0.01nm comes, i think they will apply a different unit. So no need to worry about that either.

[@TeTe76VTheChiken]

​@@ayushjha2345a silicium atom is about 0,2 nm so it seems irrealistic

[@ayushjha2345]

@@TeTe76VTheChiken thanks my friend for giving me good info. We found the limitation of how small measurement can reach. Appreciated.

[@deawinter]

10 years down the track sure does feel a lot closer now. Maybe an update on this one?

[@jonwalters485]

We still use transistors plenty even now, and because they have made such a huge impact on computing they will virtually always be used, but now we have been working on quantum computing, which is a whole new ballpark, but honestly he is on point. Moore's law has been recently shown to not hold up too well, but he raised a great point and with quantum computing, we will have the next age of computing soon.

[@karuki5791]

@@jonwalters485 hopefully we do and it gets accessible to the public with an ok price

[@josephwiebe4617]

Almost at ten years and the truth is, we don't have to make transistors smaller because we can't even make enough chips today...

[@diabl2master]

@@jonwalters485 "Because they made such a huge impact, they will virtually always be used" Sorry what? What about when we finally figure out something much better?

[@jonwalters485]

@@diabl2master The transistor is one of those things that cant be replaced. We can use something else in a new design like with quantum computing to get the same output, but the architecture is completely different. So my point was, that there will always be a use for the transistor. An example would be, even if we could have phones with superconductors in them, the ability to supercool the processors to make them work wouldnt be worth it. There are things the transistor is just amazing at doing, and things where the transistor just isnt up to par. The next beat thing will replace transitor logic there, but not where the transistor is doing a bang up job for a much lower cost. I hope that clears up what I was saying

[@arthuranydonuts923]

Almost 10 year update: We essentially have 3 more years worth of improvements left. There are lots of improvement in terms of how power is delivered, changing shape of transistors (GAAFET) that will primarily give performance improvement. The 3 year delay is also mainly because there has been slowdown in improvement in recent years. After that, your galaxy phones and macbooks will essentially have same performance with every new release.

[@burakki6324]

lowk bittersweet. if the performance stays constant then the same parts last for longer and dont have to get a new say GPU every several years. also will force developers to optimize the best they can on the hardware they have, maybe in the process making old computers better.

[@vindicator879]

Once we reached the limit of cramping more transistors in the same amount of die area, chiplet design and 3d stacking technology is going to be necessary in designing future processors

[@pixelnobs]

Unless they make the physical chip bigger.

[@pixelnobs]

@CripsyWaffles43 You cannot really make a transistor smaller than an atom, so theres a limit. (unless you use quantum computing)

[@giganooz]

After that the improvement won't come from the same scaling down of transistors. But we might see improvements in vertical stacking occur a lot more, or more capabilities of multi chip modules. We might see piezo-electric fans for better air cooling, peltier modules for possible subzero cooling, and maybe even liquid cooling through small channels within the actual die, and that's not to even speak of carbon and someday light based transistors. Plus we have a lot to gain from going back to analog in some fields like AI and possibly physics or ray tracing simulations too. There's a lot further we can go. If we look at what our brains can do, and our neurons are massive af compared to what might be a bare necessity.

[@mzshmkn]

This is basically my favorite video on explaining how transistors work. Especially as to how the electrons/holes flow in both on and off states. I've probably come back here at least once every semester when reviewing.

[@noahb.e.church]

5:35 "This will be a real problem for the future of transistors, but we'll probably only face that another 10 years down the track." Hello from 2024.

[@mostafahesham2115]

"A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track." well, we are in 2021 now so, we are facing this problem very soon

[@nicobugs]

Haven't we already reached the limit

[@oksowhat]

well, intel sucks for now still on 14nm+++++++++++++ for now amd is reaching 5nm but still far from what is the diffrance b/ insulator band and semicondoctor band about 1nm

[@Arjun-jm4ll]

@@oksowhat intels ice lake processors are 10nm

[@oksowhat]

@@Arjun-jm4ll Bhai 11th gen launch Nahi Dekha tha Maine tab

[@dododareal1218]

Im so excited for 2024!!! Hopefully Moore's law is gonna still workk

[@sundarpranesh1146]

1:04 I was searching the for the 4th electron , and he turned around . I just lost it 😂

[@shriyanshpandey112]

You know silicon has tetrahedral geometry.

[@JoshuaJ-t5q]

that's quite a brainy move

[@michaelwarnecke3474]

"But they are both neutral" Adds switz plus-sign flag

[@michaelwarnecke3474]

@@muxite6035 and in the first world war. Its just ironic to use switzerland as a symbol for electrical neutrality when the symbol on thrir flag (also) stands for positive, non-neutral charge.

[@AcTheMace]

@@muxite6035 Yeah, sure, but it's still ironic in this context XD

[@miwhcyvybaksjd]

Omg I didn't get that 🥴 I thought it was an error.

[@lyricsvaultla]

I was looking for this comment hahahahaha

[@vedranb87]

I just made the same comment! :D

[@aaronboonstra680]

The first time I watch this video I had very little knowledge about electricity and semiconductors, but as I've taken more classes through college,, especially since I'm getting a materials science degree, I've learned so much about these topics and I've gone back to this video and I'm amazed by how much more I know about semiconductors and electricity now.

[@jamesconnor5840]

I'm an engineering student, this is better explained here than in my classes haha it's impressive. Keep up the good work. Love the atom suit by the way.

[@ioncasu1993]

im sorry for you.

[@nope110]

Its 4 years later so im assuming you already fail your class, but swap teachers if you can

[@Giaridos123]

oh man its been 10 years

[@shardinalwind7696]

Brace yourselves

[@kpiyer]

Loved it!! I am re-learning transistors after about 30 years! And I can see this is by far the BEST explanation I have seen/heard. Great job.. I am going to share it with many people!

[@ggwp638BC]

2013: The current transistor size is 23nm 2021: IBM now working with 2nm chips

[@warbrain1053]

Deadline comming closer

[@Pukkeh]

There are no transistors with a 2 nm gate length. "2nm" refers to the process node, and doesn't correspond to any device dimension at all.

[@srikrishna2561]

Intel will produce 18A Processors.

[@imabot7495]

@@srikrishna2561 no one believe that roadmap, that was just for marketing and increasing funds. There will be delay

[@sherlockholmes4224]

😂😂😂

[@planetarynebulae5251]

3:21 Ironic that the Swiss flag could be interpreted as a plus sign.

[@100Hasake]

hows that ironic

[@tricksterdude7407]

Yo

[@eyescreamcake]

@@100Hasake You claim to be neutral, yet your flag shows you to be positively charged! SWITZERLAND EXPLAIN!

[@ibimssss]

@@eyescreamcake its because switzerland is next to austria which has a - so it needs to be a + to stay neutral

[@iaexo]

@@eyescreamcake ah yes the comment and replies... very similar to the ones from 4 years ago

[@JonnyWisdom]

Fair play. I am an electrical engineer with a Bachelors and Master degrees. If I had videos like this whilst studying, life would have been so easy. It's nice to sit back and watch these videos knowing that my visualization and thinking was correct, if not hard earned.

[@David-ku6dm]

Respect for all people who learned without these videos

[@andrewdavies5722]

2013: "A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track. 2023: ...... 👀

[@scuida2730]

but what is the problem about not going smaler?

[@scuida2730]

@Sizwe Letanta Yes, but when its technical not possible to go smaller at this point, everyone has to find other ways to improve their products.

[@marcel151]

@@scuida2730 And that's what they are doing. The processes to get smaller transistors are taking more time, so manufacturers are trying to make chips faster in other ways. (See Intel Tick-Tock). The thing is that new outcoming chips are not as that more powerful than newer chips before. A fast CPU from 2015 is still good to use. Try to put that in perspective with CPUs from 1994 and 2000. The good thing about that is that you don't need a new computer every 2 years if you want to have powerful machines.

[@drakesmith471]

Lol, I was thinking just that. Me: “Ooh, were almost there.”

[@murarikarmhe2322]

@@scuida2730 bigger ones require more power than smaller ones

[@georgeti5188]

Great videos, as always. One correction for accuracy: While the focus appears to be on transistors in digital circuits, in reality, all transistors are much more than switches. They have a full range of operation between 0 or "OFF" and 1 or "ON". This continuous range is how common analog signals like audio, raw sensor voltages, or radio waves are amplified.

[@ayoitscat]

This is a very important distinction. While most electronics are digital, it's still fundamental to understand the analog principles behind it

[@georgeti5188]

@@ayoitscat indeed! Technical discussions can be challenging to fully cover in a short video as there are often caveats to consider or as in this case, real world operation in circuit.

[@paulstelian97]

To be fair those continuous ranges aren't really used in the digital side of everything. For a DAC or ADC, which are used in basically all of what you mentioned, the intermediate voltage ranges of transistors are indeed something important.

[@elliotskunk]

i thought that the benefit of quantum computers was the analog nature of them, compared to the binary nature of transistors?

[@noorseenelmagre]

Ohhhh okay was gonna ask if they turn off so simply how so many common devices keep working for so long. How exactly do they get amplified though? I'm still finding that tricky to understand

[@Integralsouls]

In this 6 minutes , I could understand something that I couldn’t for almost 3 years reading books in high school and then college

[@manitro337]

Ikr?

[@sarahazman981]

It's amazing

[@Blaisem]

At that point it's more a poor reflection on you lol

[@binmahin7184]

This is really true dude

[@robertobonani4631]

@@Blaisem ahah hope he didn’t study computers at this point

[@Avionics2]

The BEST transistor demo I have come across on the web. WELL DONE !!! and thank you.

[@addipirnia1]

I couldn't agree more.

[@cayde3907]

Derek, you have balls for making the video

[@vibodhj349]

Nice pun!

[@himeshviews7622]

@@vibodhj349 hehehe

[@DouglasLima]

6 balls

[@Stormgebieder]

"A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track." These days we are happy with any chip at all :D

[@calebflenoury178]

This is such a great video. As an electrical engineer who is very weak in chemistry, this definitely helped me understand the processes of transistors.

[@samuraijosh1595]

You're kidding right..? You can't possibly become an electrical engineer without knowing this stuff beforehand.....

[@calebflenoury178]

@@samuraijosh1595 lol well I’m totally doing it rn. For ECE you don’t really need to know the chemistry behind the transistor. You just need to know how to use them in logic circuits.

[@mister_80s]

5:35 "but that's not a problem until 10 years down the line" - video made 9 years ago

[@axelkakasho]

Oh boy oh boy

[@SyntekkTeam]

Great video. I'm studying Computer Engineering right now and I specifically working with semiconductor physics in one of my classes. I feel like I understand it a lot better after watching this video.

[@jasminevalentine1919]

What are you doing now?

[@SyntekkTeam]

@@jasminevalentine1919 haha, I'm a software engineer. I make video games (with star garden games) and work to promote Star Voting Thanks for asking!

[@matthewrigby6089]

This video is dope! Jokes aside, this is the best explanation I've ever seen, and I've looked up what a transistor is many many times because I never really understood why they were so special.

[@tonirazz5565]

Little mistake: By applying a gate voltage, you don't really encourage electrons to jump out of the Source region. You attract electrons from the substrate underneath the gate, and repel holes at the same time. And as soon as there are more electrons than holes, this region behaves like an n-type layer (this is called inversion) , and that way, it connects Source to Drain.

[@CDTSimon]

You're right in that the holes get repelled from the gate electrode, however there are no free electrons in the p-Type so they can only be generated by increasing the temperature and therefore the energy of the electrons until they are able to break free... But this is only one option, the other option is for electrons from the n-type to tunnel through the barrier into the p-type, just like he said in the video ;)

[@mjtsquared]

Timothy Kimman no. You're referring to inversion. Tunneling is the problem Derek was talking about, since to keep up with Moore's law, transistors have to double their number inside a chip meaning they have to get smaller. However once they get too small that source to drain terminals are too close, due to quantum effects electrons can tunnel from one terminal to the other bypassing the entire transistor which will be a problem.

[@pedrohenriquecontente332]

This video is meant for 12-17 year-olds, man. It's just an oversimplification to get people interested on this topic

[@89RYGUY]

@@CDTSimon a little late to the comments but there are actually free electrons in the p-type region. They are minority carriers.

[@bluepainting5758]

Hi Toni, thanks for the correction, this is very helpful and is a very important detail !!

[@cryofpaine]

You accomplished in less than 7 minutes what my college professor wasn't able to do for months. The guy was smart, but couldn't teach worth crap. He'd show us a circuit diagram, toss an equation at us, and have us memorize it. It took me months to figure it out, on my own, just what a transistor was actually doing.

[@ThiagoCururu1]

Same here! That's why i love this channel!

[@890slay]

That's because he was filling in time till his term was up.

[@cinquine1]

Also because if you want to actually work with transistors this video isn't very useful, because it glosses over a ton of important stuff.

[@andycopeland7051]

I understood how to wire a translator but had never heard a great explanation of the HOW. I've always wondered. This was an awesome video! Your instruction and visuals made it really simple. Thank you for helping me finally scratch that itch.

[@kidzcannon]

you dont know how much time i spent to learn this, and then there is a 6 minute video that learned it from :O very good video :D

[@Legendaryknight2]

do you know anything about p-channels?

[@kidzcannon]

no whats that??

[@Legendaryknight2]

Well, I meant n-channel, p-channel is just this on the video. It would be the reverse of this, the p-type is on the drain and the source, while the n-type is on the middle (the n-channel). Apparently, this type of transistor turns off when there is a current to the gate. But I'm trying to find out how does it does it physically, like shown in this video.

[@DanielVoyles]

***** Yeah, I wish he had explained both. I am starting to learn more about electronics and would like to better understand the PNP transistor compared to the NPN similar to how he does in the video.

[@aimanadnan7405]

Its 7nm now in 2019 😱😱😱

[@cekpi7]

As mainstream yes, if i'm not mistaken, IBM did 5nm few years ago. EDIT: 5nm is already mainstream, Samsung has begun production this year and plans on going even lower (3.5nm).

[@Ikbeneengeit]

@@cekpi7 these nanometer ratings are just marketing buzzwords now.

[@cekpi7]

@@IkbeneengeitNot all of them, but yea, most CPU manufacturers use smaller number, even if small part of the chip is made using 7nm and other part using 12nm process, they will say it's 7nm chip.

[@edvardscacacielava7605]

@@cekpi7 2nm are in progress now

[@zacharyjefferies9965]

I'm here from the future, and we've achieved -3nm.

[@ryanaiden]

1:18 rare footage of Derek's Aussie accent!!!

[@GeetanshTech]

5:35 it's 11 years now... And Nvidia and semiconductor demand is booming

[@K.C_is_for_God]

Just noticed also

[@TechZahidOfficial]

It's been 11 years since the video. I can confirm that every phone possessor will perform the same very soon.

[@larazegers797]

You have taught me more in 1 video than an entire 50-minute lecture.

[@MsTatli]

2019 - still the best video that explains transistors ...

[@happiness4919]

5:40 i am from future and Yes, we are nearing the limits of Moore's law. The number of transistors that can be packed into a chip has been doubling every two years for over 50 years. However, as transistors get smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to control their behavior. At the 3 nm node, which is the current state of the art, transistors are already starting to show signs of quantum tunneling. This means that electrons can tunnel through the transistor's gate, even when they are not supposed to. This can lead to errors in computation. There are a number of ways that engineers are trying to extend Moore's law. One approach is to use new materials, such as carbon nanotubes or graphene. These materials have different electronic properties than silicon, and they may be able to be made smaller without the same problems with quantum tunneling. Another approach is to use new manufacturing techniques, such as extreme ultraviolet lithography. These techniques can be used to create smaller features on a chip, which can help to pack more transistors into a given area. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that Moore's law cannot continue forever. At some point, the physical limits of transistor technology will be reached. When that happens, we will need to find new ways to continue the trend of increasing computing power. Here are some of the challenges that are being faced in trying to continue Moore's law: The cost of manufacturing: As transistors get smaller, the cost of manufacturing them increases. This is because the manufacturing process becomes more complex and requires more precise equipment. The power consumption: As transistors get smaller, they also consume more power. This is because the electrons have less space to move around in, so they need more energy to do so. The heat dissipation: As transistors get smaller, they also generate more heat. This is because the electrons are moving faster and colliding with each other more often. This heat can damage the transistors and shorten their lifespan. Despite these challenges, there is still a lot of research and development being done in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. It is possible that we will find new ways to overcome these challenges and continue Moore's law for many years to come.

[@tyhutchinson9530]

this explained transistors better in 6 minutes than my college professor did in in a couple hour long lectures. Neat!

[@jakeengstrom2564]

I wanted to know more so I did a quick Wikipedia search, turns out Derek was completely wrong, transistor is a science fiction RPG game published by Super Giant games...don't always trust these science videos.

[@sumanacharya6576]

what do you mean by that!, transistor work the same way as explained.

[@memespdf]

*woosh*

[@benjamincormack3217]

I want to play it!

[@zacharytaylor190]

@@sumanacharya6576 r/whoosh

[@krishabm1]

Meanwhile from the game developers: "YeAh yOu'rE riGht Jake! wE shOulD NeVeR TrUsT tHeSe sCiEnCe vIdEos !"

[@ahmeterhanarik]

Do not ever delete or remove this video. So friggin helpful!!!

[@Abou47Pandas]

@5:45 That ten years is almost up-- how is this lookin for the future of transistors now?

[@LarlemMagic]

We now have 14nm transistors in our products.

[@RaiZRiZ]

LarlemMagic Skylake has yet to be released mate.

[@brainandforce]

***** Broadwell is using 14 nm.

[@ernststavroblofeld1961]

LarlemMagic Why the silicon?

[@LarlemMagic]

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Dafaq you talking about?

[@LarlemMagic]

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Ok first, rude.:( Can you just expand the question?

[@ayior]

I'm in a rabbit hole of trying to understand how computers work on a physical levels today. This was an important puzzle piece, thanks!

[@official-obama]

Thank you for clearing the ambiguity of what transistors do. No one else explained what turning on the base for each transistor did.

[@callumscott4001]

i learnt more about transistors in this six minutes than i have in three years studying technology, thank you very much for this video.

[@Legendaryknight2]

Can you guess how the p-channel works from this? I mean, he just explained the n-channel, right?

[@Reydriel]

My guess is that it's exactly the same, but the base has a negative voltage applied instead. Am I right? :D

[@bigpharts]

"This will be a problem 10 years or so down the line" >Video publised 11 years ago Uh oh.

[@vahayara3405]

Those who are watching 10 year after

[@zzzxhrg]

I can only wish there would have been Veritasium when I was in high school. It only took me like what, 30 years to properly understand it. Still worth it, all of the journey. Oh and that German/Swiss Quantum scientist... Quite a highlight. Oh BTW, you said a problem we would have along the road in ten years, and it's been eight since this video, so maybe time for... An update?

[@nishant7452]

So my Tamagotchi is just a machine!? *I FAIL TO BELIEVE THAT! MY TAMAGOTCHI LIVES!*

[@a.f.nik.4210]

:P

[@AlephAce]

I love satire

[@Nutritional-Yeast]

Well, if it makes you feel better, man is just a machine in the literal sense. Governed by nano scale machines called molecules/proteins.

[@AlickzRider]

I'm never going to see silicon the same way again...

[@SW-2010]

I don't understand what your saying but..................YES I BELIEVE U!

[@TheBigFella]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together - greatly appreciated!

[@DrAElemayo]

I actually understand them now. Amazing! Now can you explain how these transistors work to do logic in a computer? (for example, add a couple of numbers.)

[@releasedmovies9207]

Video: "A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track. Me: Looks nervously at this the time to face problem in transistors.

[@rkgki]

Thank you for this. I haven't read an explanation tying the molecular structure of silicon to the flow of electrons in a transistor before as clearly as this, and I've looked at several books on electronics. Especially the need for an insulator between the gate and the P type silicon.

[@Ezis9]

Thanks again for making this; it really cleared up my understanding for a paper I'm working on.

[@spongmoid842]

+Ezis9 Same thing for me, cheers!

[@mrkshply]

Ok so it's been 10 years. Now what?

[@kimothefungenuis]

They're working on quantum computers

[@hassaan1670]

1:20 Never knew hippy Derek was the friend i needed

[@georgeevangel3233]

Imagine the hard work those three who invented this transistor went through to get the first one working in a lab

[@arifhossain1862]

This 6 minutes video is way better than 3 hours of academic class

[@mrebrahimiv]

That 10 years has passed guys, be ready for the problems to come

[@rusluck6620]

don't worry, we just have to find new ways to get faster

[@angkasasuryaamerta5757]

9 year and we get from 22 nm to 1 nm It probably the perfect time for new episode for transistor. thankyou Mr. Derek

[@doorhanger9317]

I really, really, want to understand exactly how these things work, but every time I go deep into electronics i just get more confused. I can do quantum mechanics, complex algebraical proofs involving imaginary numbers, but just not those stupid electrons. I watched this video, said OMG i get it, then saw comments saying that this is only a specific kind of transistor, so I looked up the other kind and now I'm busy wiping the brain off my screen.

[@BeeBumper]

+GEORGE witton I recommend the book Microelectronic devices by sedra smith, as far as I've seen it's the bible on semiconductors, this video talks about FET type transistors and really only discusses cutoff and saturation, or the switch type properties. It does nothing to explain the biasing and how that can yield three distinct modes of operation. It doesn't touch on the BJT at all. This video is strictly for semiconductors in chips, and it does a good job explaining why a FET conducts or doesn't but it's really just the surface of the topic and doesn't discuss at all current controlled bjt type npn or pnp devices.

[@RediceRyan]

+GEORGE witton Give me an example of a proof you can do involving imaginary numbers

[@ripsirwin1]

You probably sound really smart to stupid people

[@doorhanger9317]

Redice when i said "do" i meant understand, cope with etc. I understood the videos or books or whatever sources at the time, but I couldn't recall what happened in them exactly. I'm sorry if there was confusion, to be honest I probably should have worded it differently

[@hanniffydinn6019]

It's just a valve - a TRANSFORMING RESISTOR. It's not just a switch.

[@TheRangeControl]

Thank you. :-) Now for a class on the emitter, collector, and whatever the third thing is.

[@prostoprohozhijnadjadjupoh5802]

Great video, but some minor correction is needed: [5:05] 22 nm (50 atoms) is not the size or width of a transistor, it is the name of the manufacturing technology process (semiconductor device fabrication). It is kind of manufacturing apparatus resolution, the minimal size of one step in processing, and not a size of a whole transistor, which is many times larger. 22 nm is kind of a width of the tip of your paint-brush by which you draw a painting. The smaller your pain-brush, the smaller portrait you can draw with this paint-brush without loosing the amount of details. ->>>> Crystalline silicon has the lattice spacing of 0.543 nm, so 22nm/0.543nm = 40.5 atoms. They are planning to have 5nm process in 2021, which is just 9 atoms. Can you imagine a transistor of 9 atom width? It is 3 atoms for its central P part! Where are the impurities of Boron or Phosphorus supposed to sit in that case?

[@Xylos144]

Could be wrong here, but I was under the impression that the quoted size of a transistor referred to the gate-width, ie the distance between source and drain. Not the actual size resolution of a given component, which is much smaller. ie, if you only had a 14mm resolution, think pixels, then you could only have a transistor gate 14, 28, 42, or 56 nano meters wide. Their resolution control is much smaller than that. And resolution isn't the [only/main] issue in going to a smaller transistor size. The problem is the smaller they make the gate, the more the transistor leaks. They have to make the gate and source/drain of a higher quality, in tighter chemical tolerances, to ensure a significant enough selective resistance between the on/off states such that the digital logic is still being performed to a sufficiently accurate level.

[@anonim6499]

2021...

[@prostoprohozhijnadjadjupoh5802]

@@anonim6499 They started to use 8 nm fabrication process in Sep of 2020. So, they are pretty up to their schedule. Gamers video cards are not available in stores, anyway.

[@ssenthilnathan3]

Never really thought that I would rewatch this video for my exam, after 9 years in the same day it was released !!!!

[@Inept_Kushal]

You explain me this better than my physics teacher. It comes in our exams.

[@vidanatural_oficial]

great video... so simple and so complete.

[@RexGalilae]

Is that a t-shirt of prof Martyn Poliakoff (the periodic table of videos one) at 7:00 ?

[@RexGalilae]

*0:07

[@yoda-ghost]

+Mohammed Zaid oh my god

[@DANGJOS]

Holy crap! How did I not notice that?

[@U014B]

Oddly enough, that was the first thing I noticed.

[@I_love_learning.]

"A problem we won't face until probably 10 years down the track" This video being 10 years old : ☠️ I think now transistors are 4 nm some are planning on 3 nm ?

[@teddy11859]

Nivedia already launched latest chip that solves this problem

[@SmolPotatowo]

>we shouldn't have any problems till about 10 years down the track That was 6 years ago D:

[@timl2k11]

I want to walk around in a silicon atom costume, like all the time. Would be a great conversation starter.

[@RespecterAlexander]

What a great Veritasium video!

[@JonathanAlmeida]

I think I understood this better solely because you dressed up as molecules.

[@MacAngem]

This should be presented at schools.

[@auvishekdipta01]

It has been 10 years 💀

[@Watchdog_McCoy_5.7x28]

Samsung withdraws personnel from Texas plant due to 2nm GAA yields unable to improve beyond 10-20 percent range. Moore's law is beginning to break down...

[@clohj]

Samsung withdraws personnel from Texas plant due to 2nm GAA yields unable to improve beyond 10-20 percent range. Moore's law is beginning to break down...

[@MojoJOJO543]

I’m taking electronics and my prof pretty much refuses to explain transistors because I have not taken solid states yet. I am so grateful for this video

[@Supermanohman]

I refuse to use a computer that uses doping. I live a bad ass lifestyle which means no drugs or alcohol. Ok maybe alcohol, but no doping.

[@RyanGralinski]

if you drink alcohol your no better then someone who does dope don't judge the transistor it had a hard life

[@maxsync183]

+Ryan Gralinski Alcohol is so much worse for you than dope

[@RyanGralinski]

what no that's my point ...

[@henk6172]

Fun-fact: your body makes doping. Yeah, it depends on doping. This stuff tells bone marrow it has to produce red blood cells, which can transport oxygen. Without doping you wouldn't be alive. The reason doping gets used in cycling is that you can store more oxygen in your blood, and breathing is more efficient. This is also why it's so hard to check if someone used it, as the stuff will always be there.

[@Madhav2701]

Damn you hella INTRINSIC...

[@drakanDS]

"That's ok because we will only face that only ten years from now" *video uploaded 10 years ago* Ah sh*t..

[@stalkingtiger777]

7 years down the road, I am wondering how we're heading towards 2nm chips. How did we overcome quantum tunneling?

[@rudrasingh6354]

it happens at sized of 1nm and less. Its not a problem we have solved currently, atleast to the knowledge of the general public.

[@tdk99-i8n]

GAAFET transistors + EUV manufacturing. When that hits it's limits it will be time to look into carbon nanotubes to replace silicon. Their main challenge will be producing nanotubes at the volume needed for global production rather than technology to make a nanotube transistor.

[@williamtraub1356]

Quantum computers can solve this problem

[@fanban2926]

@@williamtraub1356 lmfao no that's unrelated

[@williamtraub1356]

@@fanban2926 they solve the problem of us lacking the computing power to preform complex tasks by using the quantum tunneling to our advantage. Derek made a video about it

[@Mirwahatun7]

The best vid Ive seen on semiconductor Ooh it's been 10 yrs already! 😅

[@farmerzocker3822]

"This problem we might face in about 10 years". This video is 8 years old...well, seems to get interesting now...

[@b-beluga4510]

Lol. But we have reached 4nm size.idk how small those could get.

[@seenataslim2267]

"Transistors today are only about 22nm wide" Me: laughs in zen 2

[@ikxni]

Laughs in Apple Silicon

[@barsoktay2119]

@@ikxni Cries in Intel :D

[@rosepainting8775]

Hello 10 years has passed

[@koshka02]

I remember learning this awhile back, but you explain it extremely well. Well done!

[@user-s3la3hsarhan7e]

1:03 الناس اللي جايه من محاضرة الدكتور كيرلس 😂❤

[@KakashiBallZ]

I want that Poliakoff t-shirt!

[@Eli-kv7tx]

I thought this video said “translators”. I always wanted to know how Google Translate does it. Totally mislead myself!! Lol. Anyway, cool video.

[@ElMigUwUel]

As far as I know, Google uses machine learning algorithms (probably neural networks) and feeds them with already translated texts... from that it can identify patterns and predict which is the most suitable translation for the text that you type...

[@arddermout6946]

google NLP (natural language processing) for the tech behind Translation software.

[@kimothefungenuis]

As a computer engineer, I want to say that there is still a lot of room for improving technologies, even if we can't advance transistor size much, through the following: - RTL optimization of logic architecture - Better designed architecture (we can increase parallelism and pipelining, although it starts to become redundant afterwards) - Better and optimized Algorithms - Better optimization of compilers

[@matutoKaNaNga]

Haha I wish my professor would discuss it this way in class...wearing a costume! Really catchy and creative!

[@nileshkhatri6346]

also no student will ever bunk class if that happens...:-)

[@TrulyXeo]

Who's watching this in 2024 and hears this? 5:20

[@yaku_8856]

Mee

[@AgentDexter47]

well I expected explanation of bipolar junction transistor also not completely true, aplying positive voltage to gate attracts electrons, and repells holes so near the gate we forecefuly create n-type semiconductor, and now there is no barrier so current can flow

[@TheFounderUtopia]

That's... almost exactly what he said. o_@

[@ablaze1989]

TheFounderUtopia they forgot the fact that you can vary the voltage at the gate and with that you can control the flow....with that ability you now have the most basic amp

[@ederluna2500]

This is a JFET!

[@joshuathomas512]

Veritasium: "10 years down the track" Transistors: *sweating profusely* Me: *also sweating profusely*

[@lifeforce3451]

Thanks, after viewing so many useless animation , that's the first time I understand the principle of transistor, damn ! I feel good .

[@riiad]

Yeah but there's one thing that no video explains. How do you MAKE them?? We're talking atomic level and billions of transistors.... Nobody explains HOW we make such tiny things..

[@GryffieTube]

I just love how you are prepared to wear such a ridiculous looking costume for the benefit of your viewers! Thank you so much for your absolutely amazing content and for making learning, entertaining at the same time! I am a big fan of your channel and your content has helped me, and I am sure many others, enormously!

[@mikefung3000]

quite ironic that n-type and p-type has the Swiss flag, symbol of neutral, but its a plus sign

[@calowaykagan1379]

10 years now and the limit of Moore's law is coming to pass. Still the best video I have seen on explaining the function and limitations of transistors. Paper lantern costume is legend!!!

[@hanifrd.4757]

Seriously I am impressed by how much effort you have dedicated to create this video! I hope youtube pays you enough as a reward for such great work!!

[@alejandromotta1836]

Great video. “22 nm” and “we’ll probably only hace to face that in another ten years down the track “…. Well…. Time has passed.

[@jtpattillo9549]

Ten years later. The transistor is down to 4nm, and now we have to deal with quantum tunneling. So sad for Moore, but no more ;)