Transistors

Transistors are active semiconductor devices that you can use to control and output voltage/current from a smaller (in general) input voltage/current. They usually have 3 or 4 pins. Check out the Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) page if you are after the classic transistor which is current controlled and has a base, collector and emitter. Check out the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transformer (MOSFET) page if you want to learn more about the more modern transistor which is ubiquitous with CMOS technology which is used in almost all ICs and CPUs today. MOSFETs are voltage controlled and have a gate, source and drain.

For more exotic transistors, you might be interested in the junction-gate field-effect transistor_ (JFET) which is like a MOSFET but has a gate current, and is used for things such as low-noise op-amps and simple current sources.

Silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) are a form of thyristor which can switch large currents and latch on until the current reduces to zero.

Child Pages

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

Types, schematic symbols, important parameters, amplifier topologies, and more info about bipolar junction transistors (BJTs).

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

Types, schematic symbols, important parameters, amplifier topologies, and more info about bipolar junction transistors (BJTs).

Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)

Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)

Junction-Gate Field-Effect Transistors (JFETs)

Schematic symbols, important parameters, and more info about junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFETs).

Junction-Gate Field-Effect Transistors (JFETs)

Schematic symbols, important parameters, and more info about junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFETs).

MOSFETs

Schematic symbols, important parameters, leakage currents, failure modes, thermal stability, dead-time, FGMOS and more info about MOSFETs.

MOSFETs

Schematic symbols, important parameters, leakage currents, failure modes, thermal stability, dead-time, FGMOS and more info about MOSFETs.

Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCRs)

Semiconductor make-up, schematic symbol, commutation and more info about silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).

Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCRs)

Semiconductor make-up, schematic symbol, commutation and more info about silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs).

Transistor Part Number Standards

If you are lucky enough, the transistors you have will follow a naming standard. This allows you two identify (or partially identify) a transistor from bits of it’s part number.