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gate - technical definition
(1) An open/closed switch.
(2) A pattern of transistors that makes up an AND, OR or NOT Boolean logic gate. See gate array.
(3) In a field effect transistor (FET), the element that acts as a trigger to cause the transistor to switch. In a bipolar transistor, the gate is called the "base." See transistor, FET and MOSFET.
The Gate in an NMOS Transistor
The gate is the trigger line. When pulsed, an electromagnetic field causes the switch to close.
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