For some, saturation is the Holy Grail of turning a transistor "on". Most data sheets show the forced beta at 10 and sometimes 20.
But saturation is just a point on the operational curve. The beta of a transistor begins rising very rapidly when it comes out of saturation. Beta is high, even at 1 volt, and some data sheets specify this performance. It is possible, often desirable, to design a circuit that uses this fact. It's true that dissipation is higher, and this must be taken into account.
But saturation is just a point on the operational curve. The beta of a transistor begins rising very rapidly when it comes out of saturation. Beta is high, even at 1 volt, and some data sheets specify this performance. It is possible, often desirable, to design a circuit that uses this fact. It's true that dissipation is higher, and this must be taken into account.