The birth of electronics: Thermionic emission and vacuum

Abstract

The early developments in the field of thermionic electron emission are reviewed with emphasis on the importance of improved vacuum technology in understanding the physical mechanism and in the production of reliable vacuum tubes. The period covered is from the discovery of the Edison effect in 1883 until 1920, when improved vacuum technology had resolved the controversy about the source of electrons in thermionic emission and the fledgling electronics industry had started the large scale production of vacuum tubes for radio receivers.