The 2N2222 is a common NPNbipolar junction transistor (BJT) used for general purpose low-power amplifying or switching applications. It is designed for low to medium current, low power, medium voltage, and can operate at moderately high speeds. It was originally made in the TO-18 metal can as shown in the picture.
The 2N2222 is considered a very common transistor,[1][2][3] and is used as an exemplar of an NPN transistor. It is frequently used as a small-signal transistor,[4][5] and it remains a small general purpose transistor[6] of enduring popularity.[7][8][9]
The 2N2222 was part of a family of devices described by Motorola at a 1962 IRE convention.[10] Since then it has been made by many semiconductor companies, for example, Texas Instruments.[11]
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Ed Da Silva (2001). High frequency and microwave engineering. Newnes. p. 263. ISBN978-0-7506-5046-5. Typical examples are the well known NPN and PNP industrial and military types, 2N2222 and 2N2907, which have been used for over four decades and are still being used in many designs.
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Jack Ward. "THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2N2222: The Most Successful and Widely Used Transistor Ever Developed!". The Transistor Museum. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011. Since its initial product launch by Motorola at the 1962 IRE Convention, the 2N2222 has become the most widely used and universally recognized transistor of all time. Billions of units have been manufactured over the past 45 years and there is continuing high volume annual production.