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A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS by Joe A. Knight TRANSITRON 1950s/60s GERMANIUM AND SILICON POWER TRANSISTORS |
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Given Transitron's prior experience as a leader in silicon diodes and rectifiers they were in the forefront with T.I. when silicon output transistors first came about in 1957.
ABOVE, L-to-R: The first item, the "Z115" (the Z series was a common Transitron in-house development device numbering system.) is an early silicon device, built similar to the stud-mounted '2N83/84' style. While smaller in diameter, it's silicon element likely allowed for similar power output. The next item, a newer version "Z115" and it's cut-open bottom version, shows the popular 'digitizing' of the semiconductor elements first made popular by Prof. H. Fletcher, then with Transistor Products. This silicon device is modeled after the T.I. "2N389" enclosure. The next TO-3 style device, the "Z116" and it's cut-open bottom version, is another silicon output transistor, but it now uses three digitized silicon fingers mounted in a ceramic substrate. Finally, the last item "Z116" and it's cut-open bottom version, incorporates the three digit element structure with-in the new TI high-power enclosure. This device was then likely rated at 80 watts dissipation.
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COPYRIGHT © 2007 by Jack Ward. All Rights Reserved. http://www.transistormuseum.com/ Joe A. Knight Early Power Transistor History – TRANSITRON Page 7 |
