CHAPTER # 04

BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTORS

(BJTs)

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 TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE
The basic structure of the bipolar junction transistor (BJT)
determines its operating characteristics.

The BJT (bipolar junction transistor) is constructed with

three doped semiconductor regions emitter, base, and
collector separated by two pn junctions as shown in Figure

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PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF BJTs
Physically BJTs are of two types. One type consists of two n
regions separated by a p region npn, and the other type
consists of two p regions separated by an n region pnp

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PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF BJTs
The pn junction joining the base region and the emitter region is
called the base emitter junction. The pn junction joining the base
region and the collector region is called the base collector
junction

The base region is lightly doped and very thin compared to the
heavily doped emitter and the moderately doped collector
regions
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SCHEMATIC SYMBOL FOR BJTs

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 BASIC TRANSITOR OPERATION
In order to operate transistor as an amplifier properly , the two
pn junctions must be correctly biased with external dc
voltages. Figure shows the proper biasing arrangement for
both npn and pnp transitors for active operation as an
amplifier. In both cases the base emitter (BE) junction is
forward biased and the base collector (BC) junction is
reversed biased

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 ILLUSTRATION OF BJT ACTION
To illustrate transistor action, let's look inside the npn
transistor.

• The forward bias from base to emitter narrows the BE

depletion region, and the reverse bias from base to collector
widens the BC depletion region.

• The heavily doped n type emitter region is teeming with free

electrons that easily diffuse through the forward biased BE
junction into the p-type base region where they become
minority.

• The base region is lightly doped and very thin so that it has a
limited number of holes. Thus, only a small percentage of all
the electrons flowing through the BE junction can combine
with the available holes in the base. These relatively few
recombined electrons forms the small base electron current.

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 ILLUSTRATION OF BJT ACTION
• Most of the electrons flowing from the emitter into base
region do not recombine but diffuse into the BC depletion
region because they are pulled through the reverse biased
BC junction by the electric field set up by the force of
attraction between positive and negative ions.

• The electrons now move through the collector region. This

forms the collector electron current. The collector current is
much larger than the base current. This is the reason
transistors exhibit current gain.

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ILLUSTRATION OF BJT ACTION

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 TRANSISTOR CURRENTS
The directions of the currents in an npn and pnp transistor and
its schematic symbol are shown as;

The above figures shows that the emitter current (IE) is the sum
of collector current (IC) and the base current (IB) ,expressed as
follow

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 TRANSISTOR DC BIASED CIRCUITS
When a transistor is connected to dc bias voltages, as shown
in figure. VBB forward biases the base emitter junction, and
Vcc reverse biases the base collector junction. Generally,
VBB is very small as compared to Vcc.

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 DC BETA (βDC )
Definition:
“The ratio of the dc collector current (IC) to the dc base current
(IB) is the dc beta (βDC).” It is also called the gain of a
transistor.

Typical values of βDC range from 20 to 200 or higher. βDC is

usually designated as an equivalent hybrid (h) parameter, hFE ,
on transistor data sheets.

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 DC ALPHA (αDC )
Definition:
“The ratio of the dc collector current (IC) to the dc emitter
current (IE) is the dc alpha (αDC).” The alpha is a less used
parameter than beta in transistor circuits.

Typical values of αDC range 0.95 to 0.99 or greater but αDC is

always less than 1.

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EXAMPLE 4-1

SOLUTION

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TRANSISTOR CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
ANALYSIS
Three transistor dc currents and three dc voltages can be
identified as

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TRANSISTOR CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
ANALYSIS
VBB forward-biases the base emitter junction, and Vcc
reverse-biases the base collector junction. When the base
emitter junction is forward biased, it is like a forward biased
diode and has a nominal forward voltage drop of

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 TRANSISTOR CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
ANALYSIS
• Since the emitter is at ground ,by kirchhoff’s voltage law, the
voltage across RB is

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TRANSISTOR CURRENT AND VOLTAGE
ANALYSIS

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EXAMPLE 4-2

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 SOLUTION
As we know that .We can calculate the base,
collector and emitter current as

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 COLLECTOR CHARACTERISTIC
CURVES
• Collector characteristic curves plotted between collector
current IC versus VCE for specified values of base current IB

• Both VBB and VCC are variable source of voltages

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 COLLECTOR CHARACTERISTIC
CURVES
The collector characteristic curve divided into three regions

o Saturation region

o Active region

o Cutoff region

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 SATURATION REGION
• Both BE (Base Emitter) and BC (Base Collector) are forward
biased

• VBB produce certain values of IB and Vcc is zero

• Base is approx. at 0.7V while the emitter and collector are at 0V

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 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM FOR SATURATION
REGION
• When Base Emitter (BE) junction becomes forward biased the
base current is increased

• As VCC is increased, the collector current also increases

(Ic = βIB) and VCE is gradually increased (VCE = Vcc - IcRc) but
remains below 0.7V due to forward bias Base-Collector
junction.

• When VCE exceeds 0.7V, the Base-Collector junction becomes

reverse biased and transistor goes into Active Region.

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 ACTIVE REGION
• BE (Base Emitter) is forward biased and BC (Base Collector) is
reversed biased

• IC remains essentially constant for a given value of IB while VCE

continues to increase

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 CUTOFF REGION
• Both BE (Base Emitter) and BC (Base Collector) are reverse
biased

• IB = 0 ,although there is a very small collector leakage current

ICEO

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CIRCUIT DIAGRAM FOR CUTOFF
REGION
• The base terminal open, resulting in base current of zero

• ICEO is very small so it could be neglected i.e; VCE = VCC

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EXAMPLE 4-3

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SOLUTION

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 DC LOAD LINE
• A DC load line drawn on a family of curves connecting the cutoff
point and saturation point

• Bottom of load line is at ideal cutoff where IC = 0 & VCE = VCC

• Top of load line is at saturation where IC=IC (sat) & VCE = VCE(sat)

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EXAMPLE 4-4

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SOLUTION

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 MAXIMUM TRANSISTOR RATING
• Typically , maximum rating are given for collector to base voltage
, collector to emitter voltage , emitter to base voltage,collector
current & power dissipation

• The product of VCE and IC must not exceed the maximum power
dissipation, (means both cannot be maximum at the same time)

• If VCE is maximum , IC can be calculated as;

• If IC is maximum, VCE can be calculated as;

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EXAMPLE 4-5

SOLUTION

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 DC QUANTITIES
• DC quantities always carry an uppercase roman subscript. For
example, IB ,IC and IE are the dc transistor currents.

• VBE ,VCB and VCE are the dc voltages from one transistor
terminal to another.

• Single subscripted voltages such as VB,VC and VE are dc

voltages from the transistor terminals to ground.

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 AC QUANTITIES
• AC quantities always carry an lowercase roman subscript. For
example, Ib ,Ic and Ie are the ac transistor currents.

• Vbe ,Vcb and Vce are the ac voltages from one transistor terminal
to another.

• Single subscripted voltages such as Vb,Vc and Ve are ac voltages

from the transistor terminals to ground.

• The rule is different for internal transistor resistance. Transistor

have internal ac resistances that are designated by lowercase r ′
with an appropriate subscript. For example, the internal ac
emitter resistance is designated as re′

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 AMPLIFICATION

Definition:
“Amplification is the process of linearly
increasing the amplitude of an electrical
signal”

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 TRANSISTOR AMPLIFICATION
• A transistor amplifies current because the collector current is
equal to the base current multiplied by the current gain β. i.e.
(Ic = βIB)

• The transistor base current is small as compare to emitter and

collector current so

• By keeping the above expression ,Let us consider a circuit in

which an ac voltage Vin is superimposed on the dc bias voltage
VBB by connecting them in series with the base resistor RB

• The dc bias voltage Vcc is connected to the collector through the

collector resistor Rc

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 TRANSISTOR AMPLIFICATION
• The ac input voltage produces an ac base current which results in
a much larger ac collector current

• The collector current produces an ac voltage across Rc, which

produces an amplified but inverted signal at the output.

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 TRANSISTOR AMPLIFICATION
• The forward biased base emitter (BE) juction presents a very low
resistance re′ to the ac signal.

• The ac emitter current is,

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TRANSISTOR AMPLIFICATION

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 CONCLUSION
• We can say that the transistor produces amplification in the
form of gain, which is dependent on the values of Rc and re′

• Since Rc is always considerably larger in value than re′ , result

the output voltage is always greater than the input voltage

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EXAMPLE 4-8

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SOLUTION

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 TRANSISTOR AS A SWITCH
Transistor used as an electronic switch into two regions

o Cutoff region

o Saturation region

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 CUTOFF REGION
In cutoff region, the transistor behaves as an open switch
because base emitter (BE) juction is reversed biased which
cause an open action between collector and emitter

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CONDITION IN CUTOFF REGION
By neglecting the leakage current , all of the currents
are zero and VCE is equal to VCC

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 SATURATION REGION
In saturation region, the transistor behaves as a close switch
between collector and emitter because both junctions base
emitter (BE) and base collector (BC) are forward biased which
cause the collector current to reach its saturation value

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CONDITION IN SATURATION REGION
When transistor is saturated, the formula for collector
saturation current is

Since VCE(sat) is very small compared to Vcc, it can usually be

neglected. The minimum value of base current needed to
produce saturation is

IB should be significantly greater than IB(min) to keep the

transistor well in saturation
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EXAMPLE 4-9

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SOLUTION

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SOLUTION

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