Herbert Mataré

Herbert F. Mataré (1950)

Herbert François Mataré (September 22, 1912 in Aachen) is a German physicist. The focus of his research is the field of semiconductor research. His best-known work is the first functional "European" transistor, which he developed and patented together with Heinrich Welker in the vicinity of Paris. Mataré lives in California. He is nephew of the sculptor Ewald Mataré (1887-1965).

Biography

Mataré completed his studies in mathematics, chemistry, electrochemistry, nuclear physics and solid-state physics at the Technical University of Aachen with degree "Diplom-Ingenieur" in Applied Physics. In addition, he studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at the University of Geneva.

In 1939 he joined the Telefunken research laboratory in Berlin. At that time it became obvious that the miniaturization of vacuum tubes had met a technical limit and that alternative solutions had to be sought using solid state circuits and principles of the previous transistor inventions of Julius Edgar Lilienfeld, Oskar Heil, Walter Schottky and Robert Wichard Pohl.

Because of the massive air raids on Berlin in 1943, the Telefunken laboratory were moved to a plant established in Lubiąż (Leubus) Silesia, where Mataré focused on the improvement of the cm-wave (SHF) receiver sensitivity.

In 1944, as the Russian army closed in, the site and most of its equipment were abandoned and the operation was transferred to Thuringia. Later Mataré taught physics and mathematics in Wabern near Kassel and gave lectures at the Aachen university, and he was invited to build a semiconductor diode plant for Compagnie des Freins & Signaux Westinghouse (not affiliated with Westinghouse Electric company) in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris.

Herbert F. Mataré (1990)

Mataré lives in California.

Important Work

At the same time as the American researchers and independently, the German researchers Mataré and Heinrich Welker developed the first operational "French transistor" at Compagnie des Freins & Signaux Westinghouse in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris during the years 1945 to 1948. They filed their first transistor patent application on August 13, 1948.On 18 May 1949, this European invention coined as the "Le Transistron" was presented to the public.

In 1951/1952, Mataré founded Intermetall in Düsseldorf, the world's first company, which offered diodes and transistors.

Weblinks

• Template:PND
• Peter Salomon: „Deutsche Halbleiter-Technik vor 1945 ?“
• John Markoff (February 24, 2003). "Herbert F. Mataré. An inventor of the transistor has his moment". New York Times. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Michael Riordan (2005). "How Europe Missed The Transistor". IEEE Spectrum. Vol. 42 (11): 52–57. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.2005.1526906. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Literature

• H. F. Mataré (2001). "Erlebnisse eines deutschen Physikers und Ingenieurs von 1912 bis Ende des Jahrhunderts". Der Fernmelde-Ingenieur. 4/01, 5/01 (in one volume): 1–109. ISSN 0015-010X. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• H. F. Mataré (2002). "Von der Radartechnik zur modernen Kommunikationstechnik". Tele-Kommunikation aktuell: TKA. 9/02, 10/02 (in one volume): 1–59. ISSN 1619-2036. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Patents

The following list can only present a part of the more than 60 patents which Mataré has filed.

• US 2552052  H. F. Mataré: „Push-pull converter of the crystal type for ultra-short waves“ filed in France on May 23, 1947
• FR 1010427  H. F. Mataré/H. Welker/Westinghouse: „Nouveau sytème cristallin à plusieurs électrodes réalisant des effects de relais électroniques“ filed on August 13, 1948
• US 2673948  H. F. Mataré/H. Welker/Westinghouse: „Crystal device for controlling electric currents by means of a solid semiconductor“ french priority date August 13, 1948