Gallium Arsenide: Pulled from Obscurity

Synopsis

Traces the role of inventor, product champion and commercial developer, using as a case study the ‘high pressure crystal puller’. This machine enabled the development of gallium arsenide wafers on which discrete electronic devices can be designed. Gallium arsenide may replace silicon as the material of the next generation of electronic chips. It is faster, can resist radiation and heat and can convert digital signals directly to light. Includes interviews with the inventor Brian Mullin and the product champion Don Hurle showing sequences re-creating the original experiment where gallium arsenide crystals are grown at 20,000 degrees C. The first crystals are seen forming in close-up.

Series

Design and Innovation, Course T362

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 25 min.

Year of production

1986

Availability

OUT OF DISTRIBUTION

Subjects

Design; Information technology

Keywords

gallium arsenide; product design; semiconductors

Credits

Producer

Kevin Newport

Cast

Frank Finlay

Production Company

Name

BBC Open University Productions

Distributor

Name

Open University Worldwide

Web

http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 1908 274066

Address

Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA

Notes

NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk