Walter Houser Brattain

@Physicists, Timeline and Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Walter Houser Brattain was an American physicist who jointly received the ‘Nobel Prize in Physics’ in 1956 American Princeton University University Of Minnesota University Of Oregon Scientists Physicists Aquarius Celebrities Walter Houser Brattain was an American physicist who jointly received the ‘Nobel Prize in Physics’ in 1956 with fellow scientists John Bardeen and William Shockley for their landmark invention of transistor. While Brattain and Bardeen were recognised for their invention of the point-contact transistor, Shockley was credited for inventing junction transistor. Brattain dedicated most of his research career in investigating surface states, especially atomic composition of a material’s surface that generally differs from atomic composition of its interior. He along with Bardeen worked on a project at the ‘Bell Laboratories’ to comprehend semiconductors in a better way so that these can be applied properly in amplifying signals. Investigations of the duo led to the path-breaking discovery of the first transistor in 1947. They shared credit with William Shockley, their supervisor who almost right away invented the junction transistor. In no time transistor became a replacement for bulky and expensive vacuum tubes leading to its widespread application in electronic devices. This breakthrough invention paved way for a virtual revolution by way of other developments in the field of electronics like fax machines, computers, satellites and cell phones. Brattain served as visiting lecturer at ‘Harvard University’ and at ‘Whitman College’ and upon retirement from ‘Bell Laboratories’ he served as adjunct professor at ‘Whitman College’. He also jointly received the ‘Stuart Ballantine Medal’ (1952) and the ‘John Scott Medal’ (1954) with Bardeen.

Personal Details

Birthday: February 10, 1902 Died on: October 13, 1987 Nationality: American Famous: Princeton University, University Of Minnesota, University Of Oregon, Scientists, Physicists Spouses: Emma Jane (Kirsch) Miller, Keren Gilmore Siblings: Mari Brattain, R. Robert Brattain Known as: Walter H. Brattain Information Detail Birthday February 10, 1902 Died on October 13, 1987 Nationality American Famous Princeton University, University Of Minnesota, University Of Oregon, Scientists, Physicists Spouses Emma Jane (Kirsch) Miller, Keren Gilmore Siblings Mari Brattain, R. Robert Brattain Known as Walter H. Brattain Childrens William G. Brattain Universities Princeton University,University Of Minnesota,University Of Oregon Whitman College University of Oregon University of Minnesota Notable Alumnis Princeton University University Of Minnesota University Of Oregon Birth Place Xiamen, Fujian, China Gender Male Father Ross R. Brattain Mother Ottilie Houser Brattain Sun Sign Aquarius Born in Xiamen, Fujian, China Famous as Physicist Died at Age 85

Xiamen, Fujian, China

Walter Houser Brattain born at Unsplash Birth Place

He married Keren Gilmore, a chemist, in 1935. Their son, William G. Brattain was born in 1943. William became a puzzle designer. Unsplash Personal Life

After Keren died of cancer on April 10, 1957, Brattain married Emma Jane (Kirsch) Miller, a mother of three, in 1958. Unsplash Personal Life

He suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died in a nursing home in Seattle, Washington on October 13, 1987. He was interred in the Pomeroy City Cemetery in Garfield County, Washington, US. A Y-shaped circuitry and schematics symbolizing transistor is engraved on his tombstone. Unsplash Personal Life

Walter H. Brattain was born on February 10, 1902, in Xiamen, Fujian, China to Ross R. Brattain and Ottilie Houser Brattain. His father was a teacher at the ‘Ting-Wen Institute’ in China while his mother was a talented mathematician. His sister was Mari Brattain and brother was R. Robert Brattain who became a physicist. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1903, when he was still a toddler, he returned to the US with his mother, while his father joined them later. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He spent several years of his childhood in Spokane, Washington. In 1911 he moved with his family to a cattle ranch near Tonasket, Washington. He attended three high schools in Washington - first the ‘Queen Anne High School’ in Seattle (1915-16), then the ‘Tonasket High School’ in Tonasket (1916-18) and thereafter the ‘Moran School’ in Bainbridge Island (1920). Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He joined ‘Whitman College’ in Walla Walla, Washington, from where his parents had graduated. In 1924 he earned a BS degree with a double major in mathematics and physics. He and his classmates E. John Workman, Vladimir Rojansky and Walker Bleakney, who achieved great heights in their respective careers, became famous as “the four horsemen of physics". Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1926 he obtained MA degree from ‘University of Oregon’ in Eugene. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1927 he joined ‘National Bureau of Standards’ in Washington, D.C., as a radio engineer and aided in developing piezoelectric frequency standards. Unsplash Career

He joined research and scientific development company, ‘Bell Telephone Laboratories’ (presently ‘Nokia Bell Labs’) as a research physicist in August 1929 and started working with Joseph A. Becker on the thermally induced flow of charge carriers in copper oxide rectifiers. Some of their experiments on thermal emission catered to the experimental confirmation of the Sommerfeld theory, developed principally by German theoretical physicist Arnold Sommerfeld. Unsplash Career

Brattain examined rectification and photo-effects on semiconductor surfaces of silicon and cuprous oxide and invented photo-effect at the free surface of a semiconductor. Unsplash Career

During that period vacuum tubes had widespread application in the telephone industry even though these lacked efficiency and reliability. Thus the ‘Bell Laboratories’ made effort in developing an alternate technology. Unsplash Career

In the early 1930s Brattain and William B. Shockley attempted in developing a field effect transistor at the ‘Bell Laboratories’, by working on the concept of a semiconductor amplifier that applied copper oxide, but remained unsuccessful. Unsplash Career

He was jointly awarded the ‘Nobel Prize in Physics’ in 1956 with John Bardeen and William Shockley by King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

Information	Detail
Birthday	February 10, 1902
Died on	October 13, 1987
Nationality	American
Famous	Princeton University, University Of Minnesota, University Of Oregon, Scientists, Physicists
Spouses	Emma Jane (Kirsch) Miller, Keren Gilmore
Siblings	Mari Brattain, R. Robert Brattain
Known as	Walter H. Brattain
Childrens	William G. Brattain
Universities	Princeton University,University Of Minnesota,University Of Oregon Whitman College University of Oregon University of Minnesota
Notable Alumnis	Princeton University University Of Minnesota University Of Oregon
Birth Place	Xiamen, Fujian, China
Gender	Male
Father	Ross R. Brattain
Mother	Ottilie Houser Brattain
Sun Sign	Aquarius
Born in	Xiamen, Fujian, China
Famous as	Physicist
Died at Age	85

Walter Houser Brattain

American

Feb 10, 1902

Biography

Personal Details

Xiamen, Fujian, China