Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Walter H. Schottky
open-in-new
<p>Walter Hermann Schottky (German: [ˈvaltɐ ˈhɛʁman ˈʃɔtki]; 23 July 1886 – 4 March 1976) was a German <a href="/facts/Solid-state_physicist/Cmc6hvyR">solid-state physicist</a> who played a major early role in developing the theory of <a href="/facts/Electron/L0KBo5cW">electron</a> and <a href="/facts/Ion/3bePpDna">ion</a> emission phenomena, invented the <a href="/facts/Screen-grid/WnYG1oVT">screen-grid</a> <a href="/facts/Vacuum_tube/VHd1BNLq">vacuum tube</a> in 1915 while working at <a href="/facts/Siemens_AG/coa80TQn">Siemens</a>, co-invented the <a href="/facts/Ribbon_microphone/R4aP01WE">ribbon microphone</a> and <a href="/facts/Loudspeaker/tqEjnJ2z">ribbon loudspeaker</a> along with Dr. Erwin Gerlach in 1924, and later made many significant contributions in the areas of <a href="/facts/Semiconductor_device/6W3ryr50">semiconductor devices</a>, <a href="/facts/Technical_physics/eoQEWCwq">technical physics</a>, and <a href="/facts/Technology/9Uav5WVR">technology</a>. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Schottky_effect/QT5cq0Jt">Schottky effect</a> (a <a href="/facts/Thermionic_emission/3oujvv1U">thermionic emission</a>, important for <a href="/facts/Vacuum_tube/VHd1BNLq">vacuum tube</a> technology), the <a href="/facts/Schottky_diode/jIYnrpYW">Schottky diode</a> (where the depletion layer occurring in it is called the <a href="/facts/Schottky_barrier/1a0QpU5x">Schottky barrier</a>), the Schottky vacancies (or <a href="/facts/Schottky_defects/qMLmgMFf">Schottky defects</a>), the <a href="/facts/Schottky_anomaly/KgFXYLPc">Schottky anomaly</a> (a peak value of the heat capacity) and the <a href="/facts/Mott-Schottky_equation/TRcK0lsG">Mott-Schottky equation</a> (also Langmuir-Schottky space charge law) were named after him. He conducted research on <a href="/facts/Electrical_noise/Izbv38Rr">electrical noise</a> mechanisms (<a href="/facts/Shot_noise/Vblzt9ux">shot noise</a>), <a href="/facts/Space_charge/jSLgHevl">space charge</a>, especially in electron tubes, and the <a href="/facts/Barrier_layer/fqlG74DA">barrier layer</a> in <a href="/facts/Semiconductor/zFf3mGTE">semiconductors</a>, which were important for the development of <a href="/facts/Metal_rectifier/5dklbDe1">copper oxide rectifiers</a> and <a href="/facts/Transistor/Bmr8zwL0">transistors</a>. </p>