john@frog.UUCP (John Woods) (03/12/89)
In article <405@rb-dc1.UUCP>, shapiro@rb-dc1.UUCP (Mike Shapiro) writes: > In article <5552@brspyr1.BRS.Com> miket@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Mike Trout) writes: > > [.... much deleted....] I'm sure that this > >was the same argument used when transistors began to replace vacuum tubes: > >"I like tubes, I'm comfortable with them, and I'm going to continue to use > >them. It should stay that way." Guess what happened to all those vacuum tube > >freaks? > Ok...I'll guess... > They wound up in rec.audio. There was an article in Business Week recently (March 13 issue, I think) about how "vacuum tubes" might be about to make a comeback. Someone is busy perfecting a scheme for putting small vacuum-tube-like structures onto silicon wafers, which depend on quantum effects rather than thermionic emission. No need for an actual vacuum, since there'll only be a handful of air molecules present in the well anyway. These tubes are relatively insensitive to flaws in the silicon substrate, and are radiation hard, just like their big brothers. I knew that these semiconductors were just a passing fad :-). -- John Woods WB7EEL/1, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (508) 626-1101 ...!decvax!frog!john, john@frog.UUCP, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw@eddie.mit.edu "He should be put in stocks in Lafeyette Square across from the White House and pelted with dead cats." - George F. Will