In retro style

Strange as it may seem,¹ but early in this century electric bulbes lasted longer ^a than now. The secret is simple — a direct current was used at that time for lighting (освещение). Direct current helped to wear out refractory metal less. This suggested American engineers the idea to return to the old principle but naturally on a modern basis. They developed a bulb with the filament to which a miniature circuit with a diode was successively hooked up.³ This diode converts standard alter­nating current (AC) into pulsating constant current (DC). The losses of lighting power are compensated by a mirror reflector, installed as close as possible to the spiral bulb, and the bulb's service life has increased 80 times.

ПРИМЕЧАНИЯ

¹ as it may seem — как может показаться

² lasted longer — служили дольше

2. was successively hooked up — был подключен последовательно

THE TWO SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS

The two semiconductor materials used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, such as diodes and transistors, are germanium and silicon. Both these materials fall into group IV of the Periodic Table of Elements. An atom of either substance may be represented by a central core having a positive charge and surrounded by orbiting electrons, each having a negative charge.

In its solid state silicon forms crystals of the diamond type, i, e. it forms a cubic lattice in which all the atoms 50 except those at the surface are equidistant from their immediately neighbouring^l atoms. A study of crystal structures shows that the greatest number of atoms that can be neighbours to a particular atom at an equal distance away from that atom and yet be equidistant from one another is four. Hence each atom in a silicon crystal has four neighbouring atoms. In the crystal lattice each atom employs its four valence electrons to form covalent bonds with its four neighbouring atoms; each bond consists of two electrons, one from each atom. Each pair of electrons orbits around both its parent atom and ² a neighbouring atom.

ПРИМЕЧАНИЯ

¹ immediately neighbouring — находящийся непосредственно рядом

2. both . . . and — как . . . так и

SEMICONDUCTORS

Semiconductors are solids whose resistivity lies between those ^: of electrical conductors and insulators. Semiconductors are used in computers, in radio and TV receivers, and in other electronic products.

Semiconductor devices perform many control functions. They may be used as rectifiers, amplifiers, detectors, oscilla­tors and switching elements. Some characteristics, which make the semiconductors such an attractive member of the electronics family, are as follows:

1. Semiconductors are small and light in weight.

2. Semiconductors are solids. There is therefore little chance that elements will vibrate. Element vibration in vac­uum tubes was the cause of microphonics.

3. Semiconductors require little power and radiate less heat than tubes. They do not need warm up time and operate as soon as power is applied.

4. Semiconductors do not undergo (подвергаться) the chemical deterioration (порча) which occurs in tube cathodes. The deterioration of tube cathodes eventually results in unac­ceptable tube performance.²

Silicon is the material of which most semiconductor devices are presently constructed.

Литература

1. Ардрианова Л.Н., Багрова Н.Ю., Ершова Э.В. Курс английского языка для вечерних и заочных технических вузов: Учеб. – 5 изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 2000.

2. Баракова М.Я., Мкртчак Г.А., Наумова Н.И. Гибкие автоматизированные производства: Пособие по обучению чтению на английском языке: Учеб. пособие/ Под ред. М.Б. Генералова. – М.: Высш. шк., 1990. – 140с.

3. Голикова Ж.А., Гусарова Л.В. Книга для чтения по английскому языку для студентов технических вузов: Учеб. пособие. – М.: Высш. шк., 1990. –130с.

4. Комолова З.П., Новоселецкая В.П., Новикова Н.В. Популярная электроника : Пособие по обучению чтению на английском языке: Учеб. пособие. – Мн.: Высш. шк., 1988. – 158с.: ил.

5. Полякова Т.Ю., Синявская Е.В., Тынкова О.И., Улановская Э.С. Английский язык для инженеров: Учеб. – 4-е изд., перераб. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1990. – 463с.

6. Синявская Е.В., Улановская Э.С., ТынковаО.И. Английский язык для технических вузов: Учеб. – М.: Высш. шк., 1990. – 464с.

7. Якушева В.Н., СинильниковаТ.Д. Электроника. Сборник текстов на английском языке. (Для аудиторной работы)—СПб.: КАРО, 2003. – 144с.

8. Murphy R. Essential Grammar in Use. Elementary. Second Edition/ Cambridge University Press,1998.

9. Murphy R. English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, 1994.

10. Eric H. Glendinning, John McEvan Oxford English for Electronics. Oxford University Press, 1996.