TIP41C — 100V 6A Silicon Power NPN BJT (TO-220)

Overview

The TIP41C is a 100V 6A silicon power NPN bipolar junction transistor manufactured by STMicroelectronics, onsemi, and Texas Instruments. Housed in an industry-standard TO-220AB through-hole package, it is the higher-current counterpart to the ubiquitous 3A TIP31C.

Featuring a collector-emitter breakdown voltage ( $V_{CEO}$ ) of $100\text{V}$ , a continuous collector current rating of $6.0\text{A}$ ( $10.0\text{A}$ pulsed), and a power dissipation capability of $65\text{ Watts}$ at $T_C = 25^\circ\text{C}$ , the TIP41C delivers double the current-handling capacity of the TIP31C with identical pinout and package footprint. Paired with its complementary PNP power transistor TIP42C, it is widely used in linear laboratory bench power supplies (0–30V 3A–5A series-pass regulators), 50W–100W discrete Class AB audio power amplifiers, relay and solenoid banks, and DC motor H-bridge speed controllers.

Quick reference


Transistor Type	High-Current Silicon NPN Power BJT
Package	TO-220AB (3-pin through-hole)
Collector-Emitter Voltage ( $V_{CEO}$ )	$100\text{ V}$ max (TIP41C grade)
Collector-Base Voltage ( $V_{CBO}$ )	$100\text{ V}$ max
Continuous Collector Current ( $I_C$ )	$6.0\text{ A}$ max ( $10.0\text{ A}$ pulsed)
Base Current ( $I_B$ )	$2.0\text{ A}$ max
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$15$ to $75$ ( $I_C = 3.0\text{A}, V_{CE} = 4.0\text{V}$ ) / $\ge 30$ at $0.3\text{A}$
Collector Saturation ( $V_{CE(sat)}$ )	$1.5\text{ V}$ max at $I_C = 6.0\text{A}, I_B = 600\text{mA}$
Total Power Dissipation ( $P_D$ )	$65\text{ Watts}$ ( $T_C = 25^\circ\text{C}$ with heatsink) / $2.0\text{ W}$ free air
Transition Frequency ( $f_T$ )	$3.0\text{ MHz}$ min
Complementary PNP Pair	TIP42C (100V 6A PNP)

Pinout (TO-220AB Package - B-C-E Standard)

Looking at the front labeled face with leads pointing downward:

text

        ┌──────────────┐
        │  O  [Metal]  │ ── Tab is internally connected to Pin 2 (Collector)
        ├──────────────┤
        │    TIP41C    │
        └─┬────┬────┬──┘
          1    2    3
          B    C    E

Pin	Name	Type	Description
1	`BASE`	Base Input	Base control input (Driven with base current via pre-driver BJT or op-amp stage)
2 (Tab)	`COLLECTOR`	Power Collector	Collector terminal (Internally connected to metal mounting tab)
3	`EMITTER`	Power Emitter	Emitter output (Connect to load, ground, or negative rail)

Specifications

Parameter	Symbol	Min	Typ	Max	Unit	Conditions
Collector-Emitter Breakdown	$V_{(BR)CEO}$	100	—	—	V	$I_C = 30\text{mA}, I_B = 0$
Collector-Base Breakdown	$V_{(BR)CBO}$	100	—	—	V	$I_C = 1.0\text{mA}, I_E = 0$
Emitter-Base Breakdown	$V_{(BR)EBO}$	5.0	—	—	V	$I_E = 1.0\text{mA}, I_C = 0$
Collector Cutoff Current	$I_{CEO}$	—	—	700	µA	$V_{CE} = 60\text{V}, I_B = 0$
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$h_{FE}$	30	—	—	—	$I_C = 0.3\text{A}, V_{CE} = 4.0\text{V}$
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$h_{FE}$	15	—	75	—	$I_C = 3.0\text{A}, V_{CE} = 4.0\text{V}$
Collector Saturation Voltage	$V_{CE(sat)}$	—	—	1.5	V	$I_C = 6.0\text{A}, I_B = 600\text{mA}$
Base-Emitter On Voltage	$V_{BE(on)}$	—	—	2.0	V	$I_C = 6.0\text{A}, V_{CE} = 4.0\text{V}$

Voltage Grade Breakdown

Part Number	$V_{CEO}$ Breakdown	$V_{CBO}$ Breakdown	Application Suitability
TIP41	$40\text{ V}$	$40\text{ V}$	Low-voltage 12V DC circuits
TIP41A	$60\text{ V}$	$60\text{ V}$	24V DC systems
TIP41B	$80\text{ V}$	$80\text{ V}$	36V DC audio amplifiers
TIP41C	$100\text{ V}$	$100\text{ V}$	Universal / High-Voltage (Standard Stocked Part)

Comparison: TIP41C vs TIP31C vs TIP122

Parameter	TIP31C	TIP41C	TIP122
Device Type	Single Power BJT	Single Power BJT	Darlington Pair
$V_{CEO}$ Voltage	$100\text{ V}$	$100\text{ V}$	$100\text{ V}$
Max Current ( $I_C$ )	$3.0\text{ A}$	$6.0\text{ A}$ (Double Current)	$5.0\text{ A}$
Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$25 \dots 50$	$15 \dots 75$	$\ge 1000$ (High Gain)
Saturation $V_{CE(sat)}$	$1.2\text{ V}$	$1.5\text{ V}$ (at 6A)	$2.0\text{ V}$ (Higher Loss)

Common mistakes

Attempting direct microcontroller drive without a pre-driver: At $I_C = 4\text{A}$ , with $h_{FE} \approx 20$ , the base requires $200\text{mA}$ of base drive current — far exceeding the $20\text{mA} \dots 40\text{mA}$ maximum pin output capability of an Arduino or STM32. Always use a small-signal pre-driver transistor (such as 2N3904 or BD139) or use a Darlington like the TIP122.
Assuming metal tab is isolated from the circuit: In all standard TO-220 power BJTs, the metal tab is internally connected to Pin 2 (Collector). When mounting to a shared heatsink, use a silicone thermal pad and insulating screw bushing.

Notes

Suffix Guide: TIP41C is standard TO-220; TIP41CG denotes lead-free RoHS compliance; TIP42C is the complementary PNP partner.