High Power Transistor Packages

Transistor packages usually use the nomenclature TO-xx, where TO stands for Transistor Outline.  There are a number of transistor packages that will handle high power or high current, but it also depends on the semiconductor inside the packages.

A number of different transistor packages have been added over the last month, several can handle higher power loads. One package style is the TO-3 flange mount body. The TO-3 style dissipates a lot of heat because of the large metal package and because the metal flange is normally mounted to an even larger metal plate to dissipate even more heat. The most common TO-3 package holds two leads, with the case acting as the third terminal. Two additional new TO-3 related pages were added; the first a 4-lead TO-3 package, and the second an 8-lead TO-3 package.

Another through hole style high power package is the TO-220, although this one has a metal tab to dissipate heat. The 3 terminal package already resided on the site; however a 5-terminal TO-220 and a 7-Lead TO-220 package were added. The 7-leaded package has staggered leads, and there's an additional 5-Staggered Terminal TO-220 package to compliment it. Either of the new packages are designed to hold more than just a single transistor or FET; operational amplifiers in the case of the TO-3 package or regulators in the case of the TO-220 packages.

The other high power transistor case is the TO-263, or the surface mount version of the TO-220. There's a 3-terminal version, a 5-Terminal TO-263 package and a 7-Terminal TO-263 package.

It's easy to determine the number of pins required for a particular package, normally the function will dictate the number of leads. However it's a bit harder to pick the correct package style. So these are a few of the transistor package styles designed to dissipate high heat on the site.