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A SURVEY OF EARLY POWER TRANSISTORS by Joe A. Knight WESTINGHOUSE 1950s/60s GERMANIUM POWER TRANSISTORS |
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Westinghouse also needed heavy industrial transistors for high current loads. By 1960 the technology was advancing such that in 1961 Westinghouse came out with a new line of "Rock-Top" (w/porcelin top) Silicon Power Transistors, called the "2N1809 - 2N2109" series. These were rated at 30-amps with a whopping 250 watts of dissipation. |
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ABOVE, L-to-R: This first device is a prototype of this high power Westinghouse series, likely from 1960. Down inside can be seen the same 'concentric annuli' design construction they used in the "2N1015 - 2N1016" power transistor series. This device has a larger threaded bolt heat sink connection for it's much higher power rating. The middle item shows an interior of a production Rock-Top Power Transistor with the 'concentric annuli' construction. The last item is a production Rock-Top Power Transistor. Not to be confused with their transistor product line Westinghouse also made rectifiers in this same Rock-Top configuration, called Type 809 "Trinistor" controlled rectifiers. |
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Finally, in the late 1950's Westinghouse (and others) began experimenting with "Thermoelectric Cooler" devices for applications where component temperatures had to be kept below ambient. One such device, shown in a September 1960 ad, is shown below. This device is about one inch square. These were also called "WX814-H and WX816-H" Coolers. Apparently this new technology stalled and not much was heard of it beyond the early 60's for transistors.
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COPYRIGHT © 2007 by Jack Ward. All Rights Reserved. http://www.transistormuseum.com/ Joe A. Knight Early Power Transistor History – WESTINGHOUSE Page 5 |
