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not with an Ft of 2.5 MHz it can't. Rv unreferenced and dubious claim. Undid revision 422079810 by LouScheffer (talk)
Sorry, typo. That's what Ft means.
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Packaged in a [[TO-3]] case style, it is a 15 [[ampere|amp]], 60 [[volt]], 115 [[watt]] power transistor with a [[Bipolar junction transistor#Beta|β]] (forward current gain) of 20 to 70 at a collector current of {{nowrap|4 A}}.
Packaged in a [[TO-3]] case style, it is a 15 [[ampere|amp]], 60 [[volt]], 115 [[watt]] power transistor with a [[Bipolar junction transistor#Beta|β]] (forward current gain) of 20 to 70 at a collector current of {{nowrap|4 A}}. It can provide gain at frequencies up to 2.5 MHz.


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 16:23, 3 April 2011

The 2N3055 is a silicon NPN power transistor intended for general purpose applications. It was introduced in the early 1960s by RCA using their "hometaxial" power transistor process.[1] Its numbering follows the JEDEC standard.[2] It is a transistor type of enduring popularity. [3][4] [5]

2N3055 transistor mounted on an aluminum heat sink. A mica insulator electrically isolates the transistor case from the heatsink.

Specifications

The exact performance characteristics depend on the manufacturer.

manufacturer Vcbe Ic PD hfe fT
ON-Semiconductor[6] 60V 15A 115W 20-70 2.5MHz

Packaged in a TO-3 case style, it is a 15 amp, 60 volt, 115 watt power transistor with a β (forward current gain) of 20 to 70 at a collector current of 4 A. It can provide gain at frequencies up to 2.5 MHz.

History

The 2N3055 was designed for medium-current and high-power circuits. Commercially, it was used in many linear power supplies, audio amplifiers and low frequency power converters. One limitation was that its frequency response was rather low (typically the unity-gain frequency was 1 MHz).

With changes to semiconductor manufacturing technology, the original process became economically uncompetitive in the mid 1970s, and a similar device, now bearing the designator 2N3055, was created using epitaxial base technology.[1] The maximum voltage and current ratings of this device are the same as the original, but it is not as immune from secondary breakdown; the power handling (safe operating area) is limited at high voltage to a lower current than the original.[1] However, the cut-off frequency is higher, allowing the newer type of 2N3055 to be more efficient at higher frequencies. Also the higher frequency response has improved performance when used in audio amplifiers.[1]

Although the original 2N3055 went into decline relative to epitaxial-base transistors because of high manufacturing costs, the epitaxial-base version continued to be used in both linear amplifiers and switching supplies.[1] Several versions of the 2N3055 remains in production; it is used in audio power amplifiers delivering up to 40 W into an 8 ohm load[7] in a push–pull output configuration.

Hobby uses

The 2N3055 is also popular amongst hobbyists experimenting with high voltage transformers. The horizontal output transformer from a CRT type TV can be driven using just two resistors and a 2N3055 in flyback mode, transforming a low voltage, such as 12 volts, into several kilovolts. The output is very low current, so there is a minimal chance of dangerous electric shock. However, the design is limited by the 2N3055's ability to handle this sort of circuit, and will overheat and quickly fail from the inductive voltage feedback spikes from the transformer. Hobbyists would, after gaining an understanding of high voltage, then move on to higher power circuits and transformers. This transistor must be counted among the hobbyists as the most used power transistor, after being used in audio power amplifier with powers ranging from 10W to 400W.


Related devices

The 2N3054 is a lower power version of the 2N3055, rated at 25 W, 55 V and 4 A, but became almost obsolete about the late 1980s when many TO-66 devices were withdrawn from mainstream manufacturers's lists. In many cases a TO-220 packaged version, such as MJE3055T, can be used instead of the 2N3054 as well as in some 2N3055 applications. An MJ2955 is a complementary (PNP) transistor for the 2N3055, which is also manufactured using the epitaxial process today. A TO-3 P version of the 2N3055 and its complementary device MJ2955 are available as respectively TIP3055 and TIP2955. In the sixties and early seventies, Philips produced similar devices encapsulated in TO-3 packages under the reference BDY20 and BDY38 (although the BDY38 has lower voltage ratings than the 2N3055). Transistors TIP33 and 34 are respectively NPN and PNP transistors presenting similar characteristics as the 2N3055 and MJ2955.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Ellis, J.N.; Osadchy, V.S.; Zarlink Semiconductor (2001). "The 2N3055: a case history". IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. 48 (11): 2477–2484. doi:10.1109/16.960371. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ S M Dhir (1999), Electronic Components and Materials, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN 9780074630822
  3. ^ P. Horowitz and W. Hill (2001). The art of electronics (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 321. ISBN 9780521370950. the ever-popular 2N3055
  4. ^ Gordon McComb (2001). The robot builder's bonanza (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 261. ISBN 9780071362962. For high-power jobs, the NPN transistor that's almost universally used is the 2N3055
  5. ^ Rudolf F. Graf and William Sheets (2001). Build your own low-power transmitters: projects for the electronics experimenter. Newnes. p. 14. ISBN 9780750672443. The 2N2222, 2N2905, and 2N3055 devices, for example, which date back to the 1960s but have been improved, are still useful in new designs and are still popular for experimenters.
  6. ^ "2N3055(NPN), MJ2955(PNP): Complementary Silicon Power Transistors (6th revision)" (PDF). On Semiconductor. Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC. 2005. Retrieved 2011-03-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ IOSS Group (2008). IOSS Applications Electronic Audio Circuits Sourcebook. Vol. 1. p. 52–53. ISBN 1440471959. Retrieved 2011-03-25.

External links