2N343

Transistor Museum™ Store Historic Semiconductor Fact Sheet Transitron 2N343 Silicon NPN Grown Junction Transistor TRANSISTOR MUSEUM™ Classic Semiconductors Transitron 2N343 www.transistormuseum.com Copyright © 2012 by Jack Ward Silicon NPN Grown Junction Transistor Vintage: 1950s/1960s Use: Audio/Military 2N343 Lead Configuration Bottom View Typical early 1960s Transitron 2N343 transistors were marked as shown above the “6123” date code denotes 1961 week 23. Historical Background: Several companies were leaders in producing the first types of silicon transistors in the 1950s. Shown above is a section of the 1960 Transitron catalogue, with the claim “Industry’s broadest line of silicon transistors.” Note the variety of case styles, from small low power devices, to the medium power 2N343 type (upper right in illustration), to the high power types with heavy metal cases (lower right). The 2N343 was listed as a general purpose One Watt device, designed for low level signal applications, including audio or servo amplifiers, and was qualified for military Additional 2N343 Historical Information: Texas Instruments introduced the 2N339 – 2N343 line of medium power silicon grown junction transistors in 1957. This is a very early timeframe for silicon technology, as only three years had passed since the introduction of the first commercial silicon transistors by TI in 1954. During the 1950s, transistor technology was advancing rapidly, and the grown junction technology used for ...