Your phone has hundreds of thousands of transistors. Your computer has millions of transistors! It is no exaggeration to say that if transistors had not been invented, life today would be very different. 2 Shorten the word and you get a transistor. Therefore, the name concludes that the transistor performs some kind of resistance transfer. We will examine its meaning a little later. A transistor is an electronic component found in various circuits that is used to amplify or modify electronic signals and electrical power.
Types of transistors
There are several types of transistors, each with its own electronic symbol.
– There is a BJT or bipolar junction transistor
– Another common transistor is FET or Field Effect Transistor
– There is also a UJT or Unijunction transistor
What is a semiconductor?
A transistor is a semiconductor device.
Simply put, a semiconductor is not a good conductor, but it is not a good insulator. There is a place in between.
Silicon is a semiconductor, and silicon is home to a large number of inventors and manufacturers specializing in silicon-based transistors and integrated circuit chips. Most transistors are made of silicon. A small percentage of transistors are made of germanium, another semiconductor material.
What do the letters N and P mean?
A basic transistor consists of 3 pieces or pieces of silicon stacked on top of each other. As mentioned earlier, there are several types of transistors. In this article, we will connect to the bipolar transistor, which is probably the most common. A good question to ask is what do the letters N and P mean? The first step in making a transistor is the process of changing the conductive properties of a semiconductor by inserting impurities into its structure. This process of change of direction is called doping. Simply put, a piece of P sandwich is more positive and a piece of N sandwich is more negative due to doping.
Good bipolar junction transistor
We now know that a transistor is basically a sandwich made of 3 pieces of a semiconductor material that is made of dope to make the P pieces more positive and more negative. Let’s take a closer look at BJT. There are 2 types of BJT. Based on the doping content, the semiconductor pieces are given names in each. One is called NPN and the other is called PNP. Each has its own electronic symbol. One terminal is connected to each piece of sandwich and each terminal is given a name. The names are Emitter, Base and Collector.
We deliberately avoid transistor theory, including the concepts of covalent bonding, discharge region, and bias, because there are an infinite number of websites that you can download if you are interested. Here are some tips for you… The arrow is always part of the Emitter / Base connection. Types can be identified by the direction of the arrow.
Transistor applications
Transistor as amplifier
If we examine the control of large voltage with low voltage, we can say that we are doing an amplification. A transistor can do this.
Transistor as a switch
The transistor’s ability to function as a switch or perform a resistance transfer makes it a very useful component in industrial applications. Let’s look at how a transistor works as a switch. The switch part of the transistor is between the collector and the emitter. The switch works by changing the voltage between the base and the emitter. If the input voltage is 0 volts, the switch is open, the resistance is infinite and the output voltage is +10 volts. If the input voltage is +10 volts, the switch is closed, the resistance is zero and the output voltage is 0 volts.
Radio transistor
There are countless transistor applications. One of the most influential applications was the invention of the radio transistor. Before the advent of transistors, radios were large devices that were filled with vacuum tubes and provided the required amplification. After the invention of the transistor, audio signals can now be transmitted by small transistors. Thus, the radio transistor became portable and quite small.
Application of transistors in industry
Proximity switch
Transistors are also used in industry. For example, limited traditional switches are replaced by active proximity sensors. The output of an active proximity sensor is a transistor switch. With no moving parts and nothing to wear and tear, the active proximity switch is the manual winner down a mechanically limited switch.
PLC output modules
The inclusion of transistors in PLC output modules is another example of the use of transistors in industry. PLC output modules are now made with transistor output circuits. Early PLCs used relay switching to operate loads. Instead of working with a relay, a PLC module can control the output device with a transistor switch. Again… no moving parts بهتر Better reliability and a definite advantage in switching speed!
Summary
Transistors are electronic components used in circuits to control high current or voltage with low voltage or current.
The word transistor comes from a combination of the two words Transfer and Resistor.
– Transistors are made of silicon or germanium, which are semiconductor materials.
– The semiconductor is neither conductive nor insulating, but somewhere in between.
The most common transistors are BJT.
– There are two types of BJT NPN and PNP.
– BJT is used for sound amplification and as an electronic switch device.