Collection: Transistors

A transistor is an electronic device used to amplify or switch electrical signals and power. The term "transistor" comes from the acronym transfer resistor. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals that connect to an electronic circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of terminals of the transistor controls the current through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled power (output) can be greater than the controlling power (input), a transistor can amplify a signal; configured as an amplifier, it can also be configured as a switch, oscillator, or rectifier. Some transistors are packaged individually, but many more miniaturized ones are incorporated into integrated circuits. Because transistors are the key active components in virtually all modern electronics, many people consider them to be one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.