I know what it does, but how does a transistor actually work?

Question

It is an electronic switch that can alternate at high frequencies. Stay on or stay off etc...

But how does the silicon in a transistor conduct a flow of electrons to one leg or another, without any problem.

It is one thing to know and accept this, but to understand it is what I want to do.

Answer 1

Let's look at a typical NPN transistor.

The P semiconductor has a deficiency of electrons due to the addition of boron to the silicone crystal. The N semiconductor has an increased electron density due to the addition of phosphorus to the silicone crystal.
When these are put together, a voltage potential at the junctions of approximately 0.6 volts results because the electrons and "holes" are attracted to each other and repel the electrons and holes in the material itself and creates a barrier at the junction - leaving the pure silicone, an insulator, at either side. No current will flow due to this potential in the semiconductors because the atoms are bound in the crystalline structure of the semiconductor and this barrier at the junction is too wide.
The transistor is a current controlled device and if we add a sufficient voltage to the PN junction, the voltage barrier will be overcome and current will flow through the junction - once this barrier is overcome, the greater potential from the other N semiconductor will pass right through the PN junction to the opposite N junction and the whole device becomes a conductor - when the potential is removed, the junction again attracts and repels in each material due to the deficiency of electrons in one material and the excess electrons in the other - and this junction once again prevents further conduction through the silicone.
That's it in a nutshell.

Answer 2

Silicon is an element with valency 4..A transistor is basically made of this layer consisting of 3 layers with varying width. In case of a BJT, there is an emitter, a base& a collector.The base is sandwiched between the emitter & the colllector. When the necessary bias is given to the transistor, the electrons flow accordingly, without deviations.

Answer 3

The mechanism is not trivial and there are many types of transistors. Try the Amateur Radio Handbook from the American Radio Relay League. The explanations are thorough but not overly mathematical.

You can also start here. There are a ton of links in it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor

Answer 4

when the voltage is applied between anode and cathode ionisation takes place that is moving positve ions from anode to cathode and negatiove ions from cathode to wards anode

these ions tranfer from one end to other end happens as and when the gate is triggered or as and when you apply gate voltage thro the gate reference