Timeline of solid-state device manufacturing Solid-state semiconductor devices first saw significant manufacturing and deployment during which historical period?

Introduction / Context:
While the first transistor arrived in 1947, solid-state devices existed earlier as crystal detectors and rectifiers. The first large-scale, practical manufacturing surge of solid-state components occurred during wartime programs.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Focus on meaningful manufacturing and deployment, not first scientific observation.
• Includes germanium and silicon diodes used in radar and communications.

Concept / Approach:
During World War II, radar systems required high-frequency detectors with low noise. Point-contact and junction germanium diodes were produced in quantity. Although vacuum tubes dominated amplification, these solid-state diodes were critical components and marked significant manufacturing of semiconductors.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Pre-1940s: crystal detectors existed but limited commercial scale.WWII: military demand led to mass production of germanium rectifiers and detectors.Post-1947: transistor invention accelerated solid-state expansion.Hence, the earliest significant manufacturing phase aligns with World War 2.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical accounts of radar development describe widespread use of germanium detector diodes in the 1940–1945 period.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1904 and 1907: dates tied to vacuum tube milestones (Fleming diode 1904, de Forest triode 1906–1907), not mass solid-state manufacturing.1960: by then, manufacturing was well underway; not the first period.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating the first transistor (1947) with the first mass use of solid-state devices; diodes predate transistors.

Final Answer:
World War 2