Hands-On Devices: How to Build Transistors in Your Kitchen

“Hands-­‐on Devices: Build Transistors in Your Kitchen” is designed to introduce, for the first time, a lab-­‐component to 6.012, a key class within EECS and at the core of electrical engineering. This lab is meant to re-­‐invent semiconductor device education from its current status as a theoretical, abstract concept (both at MIT and the vast majority of schools) into an experimental and tangible discipline. Students perform the daunting task of transforming a blank silicon wafer into working transistors and circuits -­‐ using nothing more than their hands and standard equipment found around a home or garage. This lab gives many students a once-­‐in-­‐a-­‐lifetime experience and exposure to nanotechnology, while simultaneously demonstrating the efficacy of their educational accomplishments by relating concepts taught in class to real-­‐world, impactful applications.