Robert N. Hall
Encyclopedia
Robert N. Hall is an American engineer and applied physicist. He demonstrated the first semiconductor laser
, and invented a type of magnetron commonly used in microwave ovens. He also contributed to the development of rectifiers for power transmission.
. He studied at California Institute of Technology
, receiving the B.S. in 1942 and the Ph.D. in 1948.
Studying the characteristics of p-i-n diodes used as power rectifiers, he had a key insight which resulted in his being co-credited with William Shockley
and W. T. Read, Jr., for the analysis of nonradiative carrier recombination in semiconductors.
Hall developed the semiconductor laser in 1962, while working at General Electric
in Schenectady, New York
. In the 1970s, Hall's work focussed on photovoltaics
and solar cell
s. He retired in 1987 having been granted 43 U.S. patent
s during his career.
Hall was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
in 1977, and to the National Academy of Sciences
in 1978. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
in 1994.
Laser diode
The laser diode is a laser where the active medium is a semiconductor similar to that found in a light-emitting diode. The most common type of laser diode is formed from a p-n junction and powered by injected electric current...
, and invented a type of magnetron commonly used in microwave ovens. He also contributed to the development of rectifiers for power transmission.
Biography
Hall was born in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. He studied at California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, receiving the B.S. in 1942 and the Ph.D. in 1948.
Studying the characteristics of p-i-n diodes used as power rectifiers, he had a key insight which resulted in his being co-credited with William Shockley
William Shockley
William Bradford Shockley Jr. was an American physicist and inventor. Along with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain, Shockley co-invented the transistor, for which all three were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics.Shockley's attempts to commercialize a new transistor design in the 1950s...
and W. T. Read, Jr., for the analysis of nonradiative carrier recombination in semiconductors.
Hall developed the semiconductor laser in 1962, while working at General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. In the 1970s, Hall's work focussed on photovoltaics
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
and solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
s. He retired in 1987 having been granted 43 U.S. patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s during his career.
Hall was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
in 1977, and to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1978. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
in 1994.
Further reading
- Hall, Robert N., "Early transistor history at GE", 2000, http://www.semiconductormuseum.com/Transistors/GE/OralHistories/Hall/Hall_Index.htm, accessed March 6, 2006.
- Invent Now Hall of Fame, "Robert N. Hall", http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/73.html, accessed March 6, 2006.
- Lemelson-MIT Program, "R. N. Hall", http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/hall3.html, accessed March 6, 2006.
- Hall, Robert N., "Laser 50th Anniversary: Robert N. Hall recalls the diode laser", 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B1P9ERCaxg