What are the brands of Darlington transistors?

I will provide you with a detailed introduction to the main brands and characteristics of Darlington transistors. The main brands of Darlington transistors include two categories: internationally renowned enterprises and domestic professional manufacturers. The main contents are as follows:

International renowned brands: Introduce the technical characteristics and product applications of international brands such as Central, Texas Instruments, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, etc.

Major domestic brands: covering product positioning and market advantages of domestic manufacturers such as Dandong Huaao, Wuxi Gudian, Changjing Technology, Sako Microelectronics, and Yuxin Electronics.

Selection reference: Use a table to compare the key parameters and application scenarios of various brands to help make quick selections.

Next, I will begin writing the main body of the Darlington transistor brand introduction.

Comprehensive analysis of mainstream brands of Darlington transistors: from international giants to domestic rising stars

1、 Internationally renowned brand

Darlington transistor, as a high gain, high current composite transistor structure, has a wide range of applications in power amplification and driving fields. The main international brands currently on the market include:

As the world's top discrete semiconductor manufacturer, Central Semiconductor's Darlington transistors are renowned for their ultra-high current gain and high power processing capabilities. The TIP140 (NPN) and TIP145 (PNP) series complementary silicon power Darlington transistors have an amplification factor (hFE) of 1000 times, a continuous collector current of up to 10A, a peak current of up to 20A, a withstand voltage range of 60100V, and a power consumption of 125W. These devices are manufactured using epitaxial base technology and are designed for general-purpose amplifiers and low-speed switching applications that require high gain. The operating temperature range is wide up to 65-150 ℃, and the thermal resistance is only 1.0 ℃/W, making them suitable for harsh temperature environments.
Texas Instruments (TI) holds a leading position in the field of Darlington transistor arrays, with its ULN2803 series being the most classic 8-channel Darlington array product. Models such as ULN2803ADWR (SOIC18 package) and ULN2003LVDR (SOIC16 package) offer single channel 500mA (peak) driving capability, with an output voltage of up to 50V and integrated clamp diodes, which can directly drive inductive loads such as relays and stepper motors. The core advantage of TI products lies in their compatibility with various logic circuits (TTL/CMOS) and optimized thermal performance design.
Infineon focuses on automotive grade Darlington tube solutions, with its BSP60H6327XTSA1 model certified by AECQ101 and featuring a compact SOT2234 package. This device has a typical DC current gain (hFE) of 1000, a collector emitter withstand voltage of 45V, low saturation voltage drop, and fast switching characteristics, making it particularly suitable for automotive electronic systems such as engine control and headlight drive. Infineon's products are also widely used in the fields of power management, motor drives, and industrial automation.
STMicroelectronics (ST) offers multi-channel Darlington arrays such as ULN2802A (PDIP18 package) with Octal (eight channel) NPN Darlington structure, each capable of withstanding 50V voltage and 500mA continuous current. The operating temperature range of ST devices (20~85 ℃) is suitable for most industrial environments, and the tubular packaging facilitates automated production and installation. It is mainly used for actuator drives in industrial control systems.

2、 Major domestic brands

With the rise of China's semiconductor industry, a group of domestic enterprises have formed their own technological characteristics and market positioning in the field of Darlington transistors:

Dandong Huaao Electronics specializes in power devices for automobiles/motorcycles. Its BU931ZM model (TO220/TO263 package) is an NPN power Darlington transistor designed specifically for automotive igniters and voltage regulators, with built-in freewheeling diodes and shunt resistors, which can directly replace ST's similar products. The company was founded in 2001 and has extensive experience in the field of automotive electronics. Its products include ignition systems, voltage regulators, and specialized integrated circuits.
Wuxi Solid State Semiconductor (ISC) has 30 years of semiconductor manufacturing experience and provides a full range of transistor solutions. The Darlington transistor product line includes models such as BDX53, BUW57, BD647, etc. The company's characteristic is the continuous supply of discontinued, obsolete, and difficult to find models of substitutes, such as BDX53 (medium power) and BD647 (universal) Darlington transistors, with diverse packaging forms, widely used in power amplification and medium speed switching scenarios.
JSCJ has significantly improved the consistency of Darlington tube HFE parameters by improving device structure and manufacturing processes. Its products cover a wide range of currents (10A~8A) and voltages (VCBO/VCEO up to ± 100V), with typical models such as TIP120, TIP127, and MJD series. Changjing's Darlington tube is particularly suitable for high-power switch circuits, motor speed regulation, and LED intelligent display driving, among which the BD677/BD678 series can efficiently drive 8 × 8 LED matrices.
Slkor is an emerging semiconductor company, and its ULN2803Q (QFN20LEP package) is a highly integrated eight channel Darlington array with a peak current of 500mA and a withstand voltage of 30V. The product's advantages lie in optimized heat dissipation design (4x4mm EP package) and low saturation voltage drop (1.6V), suitable for precision control of robots and home appliance motor drives.
Yuxin Electronics has launched a multifunctional integrated Darlington driver chip such as LC2506 (DIP16/SOP16), innovatively integrating a 78L05 three terminal voltage regulator in the Darlington array. This six channel driver provides 300mA output per channel and is compatible with TTL/CMOS logic input, making it particularly suitable for systems that require multiple relay cooperative control, simplifying circuit design.

3、 Selection reference: Key parameters and application scenarios

The following table summarizes the core characteristics and application directions of major brands of Darlington pipes, providing a quick reference for engineers to select:

Table: Comparison of Key Characteristics of Mainstream Darlington Transistor Brands and Products

When selecting Darlington tubes based on application requirements, engineers should focus on the following factors:

Current/voltage requirements: For high-power applications such as motor drives, Central's TIP series (10A) or crystalline TIP127 (8A) are preferred; In low to medium power scenarios (such as relay driving), TI's ULN2803 (500mA) or Yuxin's LC2506 (300mA) can be selected.

Channel quantity: Multi channel control systems (such as LED matrices or complex relay groups) should use array products such as ULN2803 (8 channels) or LC2506 (6 channels), which can significantly save PCB space compared to discrete devices.

Environmental adaptability: Automotive electronics must use components certified by AECQ101, such as the Infineon BSP60 series; Industrial high-temperature environments require attention to the working temperature range (such as ST's ULN2802A supporting 20~85 ℃).

Integrated features: The Yuxin LC2506 has a built-in 5V regulator, simplifying power supply design; Dandong Huaao BU931ZM integrated freewheeling diode is particularly suitable for driving inductive loads.

When testing Darlington transistors, it should be noted that the measurement results of a multimeter may differ from traditional transistors, especially for some high-speed models where the input diode is anti parallel connected to the front-end BE junction, resulting in similar forward and reverse resistance values, which can easily be misjudged as a faulty transistor.

4、 Summary

The Darlington transistor market presents a pattern of coexistence of international giants and domestic manufacturers. International brands such as Central, TI, and Infineon maintain advantages in high-performance and automotive grade fields, with their products leading in current gain, power density, and reliability; Domestic enterprises such as Changjing Technology, Wuxi Gudian, and Dandong Huaao focus on specific application scenarios (such as automotive ignition, LED drivers) and replacing discontinued models to win the market with high cost-effectiveness and localized services. Emerging manufacturers such as Sako Microelectronics and Yuxin Electronics have demonstrated unique competitiveness in segmented fields through innovative integration (such as built-in voltage regulators) and packaging optimization.

With the popularization of Industry 4.0 and new energy vehicles, Darlington transistors are developing towards higher integration (multi-channel+built-in protection), lower losses (optimized saturation voltage drop), and smaller packaging (SOT223/QFN). Designers can make the optimal selection based on the specific voltage and current requirements, channel quantity, and environmental conditions of the application, taking into account the brand characteristics described in this article.