Bipolar Junction Transistors

(BJT)
Presented by
D.Satishkumar
Asst. Professor, Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Email: iamdsk.d@gmail.com
Contact No: +91 9591578732
Introduction
A transistor is a device that can be used as
either an amplifier or a switch. Transistor is
current controlling device.

Transistors can be either
npn or pnp type.
Introduction
The three layers of BJT are called Emitter, Base and Collector
Base is very thin compared to the other two layers
Base is lightly doped. Emitter is heavily doped. Collector is moderately
doped
NPN Emitter and Collector are made of N-type semiconductors; Base is
P-type
PNP Emitter and Collector are P-type, Base is N-type
Both types (NPN and PNP) are extensively used, either separately or in
the same circuit
BJT has two junctions Emitter-Base (EB) Junction
and Collector-Base (CB) Junction
The device is called bipolar junction transistor because current is due
to motion of two types of charge carriers free electrons & holes
Transistor Analogous to two diodes connected back-to-back: EB diode
and CB diode


Transistor Structure
In diodes there is one p-n junction.
In Bipolar junction transistors (BJT), there are three
layers and two p-n junctions.

Note: Arrow Direction from P to N ( Like Diode)
Figure showing different transistor packages
Transistor Operation
Operation of NPN transistor is discussed here

For normal operation (amplifier application)
EB junction should be forward biased
CB junction should be reverse biased

Depletion width at EB junction is narrow (forward biased)
Depletion width at CB junction is wide (reverse biased)
Transistor- Normal Operation
When EB junction is forward biased, free electrons from
emitter region drift towards base region
Some free electrons combine with holes in the base to
form small base current
Inside the base region (p-type), free electrons are
minority carriers. So most of the free electrons are swept
away into the collector region due to reverse biased CB
junction
Three currents can be identified in BJT
1. Emitter current;
2. Base current;
3. Collector current
Current directions in NPN and PNP transistors:
For both varieties:
------------(1)
collector current has two components:

dc
is the fraction of charge carriers emitted from emitter, that enter into the
collector region
ICBO is the reverse saturation current in CB diode
-------------(2)
--------------(3)
As approximation, we can neglect ICBO in eq( 2) & (3)
compared to IE and IC
Hence approximate equations are:
The parameter dc is called common-base dc current gain
Value of dc is around 0.99
We know
Substituting In above eq, we get
------------ (4)
where
&
Since value of dc is around 0.99, ICEO >> ICBO
Hence approximation of eq(4) gives:
Parameter dc is called common emitter dc current gain

Values of dc and dc vary from transistor to transistor. Both
dc and dc are sensitive to temperature changes
Transistor Configurations
BJT has three terminals
For two-port applications, one of the BJT terminals needs
to be made common between input and output
Accordingly three configurations exist:
Common Base (CB) configuration
Common Emitter (CE) configuration
Common Collector (CC) configuration
Common Base ( CB ) configuration
Base is common between input and output
Input voltage: VEB Input current: IE
Output voltage: VCB Output current: IC
(Resistors are not shown here
for simplicity)
CB Input characteristics
A plot of IE versus VEB for
various values of VCB
It is similar to forward biased
diode characteristics
As VCB is increased, IE increases
only slightly
Note that second letter in the
suffix is B (for base)
Input resistance ri
Voltage amplification factor AV
Note: Both can be determined from the CB input characteristics
CB Output characteristics
CB Output characteristics
A plot of IC versus VCB for
various values of IE
Three regions are identified:
Active,
Cutoff,
Saturation
Active region:
E-B junction forward biased
C-B junction reverse biased
IC is positive, VCB is positive
IC increases with IE
Cut off Region:
When IE = 0, IC = ICBO
ICBO is collector to base current with emitter open
Below this line we have cut-off region
Here both junctions are reverse biased
Saturation Region:
Region to the left of y-axis (VCB negative)
Here both junctions are forward biased
IC decreases exponentially, and eventually changes direction
Output resistance ro
Current amplification factor AI or ac
Note: Both can be measured from output characteristics
Common Emitter configuration
(Resistors are omitted for simplicity)
Emitter is common between input and output
Input voltage: VBE ; Input current: IB
Output voltage: VCE; Output current: IC
CE input characteristics
Plot of IB versus VBE for
various values of VCE
Similar to diode
characteristics
As VCE is increased, IB
decreases only slightly
Note that second suffix is E
(for emitter)
CE output characteristics
A plot of IC versus VCE
for various values of IB
Three regions
identified:
Active,
Cut-off,
Saturation

Active region:
Linear region in the output characteristics
E-B junction forward biased
C-B junction reverse biased
IC increases with IB
Cut off region:
Region below IB=0 line (or IC=ICEO)
Saturation Region:
Region to the left of the vertical line
VCE=VCE(sat)=0.3V ( for Silicon)

Input resistance ri
Output resistance ro
Voltage gain AV Current gain AI or ac
Note: All these parameters can be determined from CE characteristics
Experimental setup for determining CE characteristics
Transistor Biasing
Applying external dc voltages to ensure that transistor
operates in the desired region
Which is the desired region?
For amplifier application, transistor should operate in
active region
For switch application, it should operate in cut-off and
sat.
Quiescent point (Q-point)
The point we get by plotting the dc values of IC , IB
and VCE (when ac input is zero) on the transistor
characteristics
Q-point is in the middle
of active region.
Types of biasing:
Fixed bias
Self bias
1. Fixed bias:
Equations to consider are:
Pros:
1) Simple circuit
2) Uses very few resistors

Cons:
1. Q-point is unstable
If temperature increases, then increases, and
hence ICQ and VCEQ vary (effectively Q-point shifts)
If the transistor is replaced with another
transistor having different value, then also Q-
point shifts

Load Line Characteristics: Variation in load line with
circuit parameters VCC, RC and RB
Load Line
We have:
This is an equation of straight line with points VCC/RC and
VCC lying on y-axis and x-axis respectively
This line is called Load line because it depends on
resistor RC considered as Load and VCC
Intersection of load line and transistor characteristic curve
is the Q-point or operating point
This point is the common solution for characteristics and
load line equation
Voltage divider bias or Self bias
Resistor RE connected between emitter
and ground
Voltage-divider resistors R1 & R2
replace RB
Circuit can be analyzed in two
methods:
Exact method (using Thevenins
theorem)
Approximation method
(neglecting base current)
Exact method:
Input side of self-bias (Fig. a) transformed into Thevenins equivalent
circuit (Fig. b) where, RTH is the resistance looking into the terminals A &
B (Fig. c) and VTH is given by:
Self-bias circuit redrawn with input side replaced by
Thevenins equivalent :
Since >> 1 and (+1)RE >> RTH
Since IC is almost independent of , Q-point is stable
Approximate analysis:
Carried out only if RE 10R2
IB is negligible compared to I1 and I2
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