transistor

Also known as transistors

thumb|MOSFET|Metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), showing gate (G), body (B), source (S) and drain (D) terminals. The gate is separated from the body by an insulating layer (white).

AI overview

A transistor is a small electronic device that controls the flow of electric current, acting like a tiny switch or gate that can be turned on and off. Transistors are fundamental building blocks of modern electronics, enabling the operation of everything from radios and computers to smartphones and other digital devices.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Electronic component.name: Transistor
Electronic component.image: Transistors.agr.jpg
Electronic component.type: Active
Electronic component.invention_Year: 1947
Electronic component.first_produced: 1950s
Electronic component.pins: Base, collector, and emitter
Electronic component.symbol: 80px 80px
Electronic component.symbol_caption: NPN and PNP symbols

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Research

23,442 papers

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Wikidata facts

Image: Transistors.agr.jpg

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Commons category: Transistors
Stack Exchange tag: electronics.stackexchange.com/tags/transistors
time of discovery or invention: 1947-12-00

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~54 min read

Article

33 sections

Contents

History
Bipolar transistors
Field-effect transistors
MOSFET (MOS transistor)
Importance
Simplified operation
Transistor as a switch
Transistor as an amplifier
Comparison with vacuum tubes
Advantages
Limitations
Types
Classification
Mnemonics
Field-effect transistor (FET)
Metal–oxide–semiconductor FET (MOSFET)
Bipolar junction transistor (BJT)
Usage of MOSFETs and BJTs
Other transistor types
Device identification
Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC)
Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS)
European Electronic Component Manufacturers Association (EECA)
Proprietary
Naming problems
Construction
Semiconductor material
Packaging
Flexible transistors
See also
References
Further reading
External links

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electrical signals and power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals for connection to an electronic circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals controls the current through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be higher than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal. Some transistors are packaged individually, but many more in miniature form are found embedded in integrated circuits. Because transistors are the key active components in practically all modern electronics, many people consider them one of the 20th century's greatest inventions.