Name Morgan Sparks | ||
Died May 3, 2008, Fullerton, California, United States Education Rice University, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | ||
Morgan Sparks (July 6, 1916 – May 3, 2008) was an American scientist and engineer who helped develop the microwatt bipolar junction transistor in 1951, which was a critical step in making transistors usable for every-day electronics. Sparks directed Sandia National Laboratories.
Contents
Early life and education
Sparks was born in Pagosa Springs, Colorado and became an undergraduate at Rice University and then did his PhD work in physical chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
Career
Sparks went on to work at Bell Labs where John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley were developing the first transistor. Sparks stayed at Bell Labs and worked there to develop the microwatt bipolar junction transistor which helped make transistors practical enough for common use. Later, Sparks left Bell Labs to become the director of Sandia National Laboratories.