Basically, the transistor is nothing bur solid-state equivalent of a triode valve which was used in radio and early computers. It is made of three-layer semiconductor materials. Common semiconductor two materials in transistor construction are silicon and germanium. It basically acts as an insulator and a conductor. This page almost covers the advantages and disadvantages of the transistor to better understand this topic.
Advantages of transistor:
- It is used for fast switching applications
- Smaller mechanical sensitivity
- It is used as a current controlled current gain
- It is available at very low cost
- It is very smaller in size
- Fast switching
- It has a longer lifeLow operating voltage for greater safety, lower costs and tighter clearances
- Extremely long life
- The transistor is very easy to turn ON and turn OFF the power transistor
- The power transistor can carry large currents in ON state and it blocks very high voltage in OFF state mode
- ON state voltage drops across power transistor is very low
- The power transistor can be operated at switching frequencies in the range of around 10 to 15 KHz
- There is no power consumption by the cathode heater
- It uses low voltage for its operation hence it offers more safety
- It can be used to control the power delivered to the load in inverters and choppers
Disadvantages of transistor:
- It has reverse blocking capacity is very low
- It can be damaged due to the thermal runaway or second breakdown
- Manufacturing techniques are very complex and require a clean room environment
- Due to its small size, it is difficult to trace out faulty ones due to failure. Moreover, it is very difficult to unsolder and replace new ones
- Power transistor cannot be operating satisfactorily above switching frequency of around 15 KHz