2N3904

The 2N3904 is a common NPN bipolar junction transistor used for general-purpose low-power amplifying or switching applications.[1][2][3] It is designed for low current and power, medium voltage, and can operate at moderately high speeds.

A 2N3904 in a TO-92 package on a breadboard (lower left)
A 2N3904 made by Motorola. The pinout from left to right is: Emitter, Base, Collector.[1]

Overview

The type was registered by Motorola Semiconductor in the mid-1960s, together with the complementary PNP type 2N3906, and represented a significant performance/cost improvement, with the plastic TO-92 case replacing metal cans. This transistor is low-cost, widely available and sufficiently robust to be of use by experimenters and electronics hobbyists.[4] When looking at the flat side with the leads pointed downward, the three wires emerging from the bottom are connected to, from left to right, the emitter, the base and the collector.[5] Some manufacturers mark "EBC" on the molded part, but all are required to have those connections for a part which is a "2N3904".[6]

It is a 200 mA, 40 V, 625 mW transistor with a transition frequency of 300 MHz,[1] with a minimal beta, or current gain, of 100 at a collector current of 10 mA.

The 2N3904 is used very frequently in hobby electronics projects, including home-made ham radios, code-practice oscillators, analog amplification, and interfacing device for microcontrollers.

Electrically similar devices, such as the MMBT3904, are available in a variety of small through-hole and surface-mount packages, including TO-92, SOT-23, and SOT-223, with package-dependent thermal ratings from 625 milliwatts to 1 watt.

The complementary PNP transistor is 2N3906.[7]

Part numbers
Pinout of 2N3904 in TO-92 package. Top view or PCB layout view is shown in the lower right corner.

The 2N3904 (NPN) and 2N3906 (PNP) are complementary transistor pairs. These transistors are available in package styles TO-92, SOT23, SOT223 with different prefixes.

Transistor part numbers
BJT Thru-hole Surface-mount
TO92SOT23SOT223
NPN2N3904[1]MMBT3904PZT3904
PNP2N3906[7]MMBT3906PZT3906

See also

References
  1. "2N3904 Datasheet (TO-92)" (PDF). ON Semiconductor. August 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2019.
  2. "2N3904 Datasheet (TO-92)" (PDF). Micro Commercial Components (MCC). January 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2019.
  3. "2N3904 Datasheet (TO-92)" (PDF). Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology (JCET). October 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2019.
  4. Silver, H. Ward (2008). Circuitbuilding do-it-yourself for Dummies. For Dummies. p. 111. ISBN 0-470-17342-4.
  5. Predko, Michael (2004). 123 robotics experiments for the evil genius. TAB Robotics Series. McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 98. ISBN 0-07-141358-8.
  6. JEDEC
  7. "2N3906 Datasheet (TO-92)" (PDF). ON Semiconductor. February 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2019.

Further reading
Historical Databooks
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