TRANSISTOR MUSEUM™  

Historic Transistor Photo Gallery   

 

Transistor Size (1/2”L X 3/8”W X 1/2”H)

 

Front View of 1955 Paperweight from GE

 

GE 2N43/44/45

 

TYPE

Germanium PNP Alloy Junction

Low-Medium Power

 

USAGE

Commercial/Military

General Purpose/Audio 

 

DATE INTRODUCED

1953

 

CASE STYLES

Black Metal Pinched Top (Early)

Black Metal Top Hat (Later)

 

AVAILABILITY

Common (High Volume Production)

HISTORIC NOTES

The first junction transistors made commercially by General Electric were the 2N43, 2N44 and 2N45, all introduced in mid 1953.  This product line was originally developed under a military contract, and the devices were required to meet rigorous performance requirements; GE developed a unique “top hat” style case, which allowed a hermetic seal and internal vacuum to be used to ensure transistor junction protection and high reliability.  In 1955, a special version of the 2N43, labeled as the 2N43A, became the first transistor qualified for use by the U. S. Air Force.  The 2N43/4/5 units were sorted into different performance types from the same production lines.  The 2N43 is high gain, the 2N45 is low gain, and the 2N44 is medium gain (note that “out of spec” remainders were sold as the hobbyist 2N107).  Initial list prices for these transistors ranged from $11.90 to $23.75 (see the 1954 Radio Shack catalog).  Millions of these units were manufactured through the 1960s, and the high reliability and stable performance of these famous transistors ensured widespread use in all types of applications.   See the Carl David Todd Oral History for an excellent discussion of these early transistors, the specifics of GE’s manufacturing technology and the 2N107.       

 

Copyright © 2002, 2007 by Jack Ward.  All Rights Reserved.

http://www.transistormuseum.com