Lecture Notes

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

Outline
BJT structure and I-V characteristics
Physical operation of power BJTs
Switching characteristics
Breakdown voltage
Second breakdown
On-state voltage
Safe operating areas

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 1

 Basic Geometry of Power BJTs
emitter
base
opening metallization
emitter
metallization

S i O2

N+ N+ N+ N+
P

-
N

N+

collector

Features to Note
Multiple narrow emitters - minimize emitter current crowding.
Multiple parallel base conductors - minimize parasitic resistance in series with the base.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 2

 BJT Construction Parameters

base emitter collector

+ 19 -3
10 m N 10 cm base NPN
BJT

16 -3 emitter
5 -20 P 10 cm
m

50-200 m
N
- 10
14
cm
-3 collector
(collector drift
region)
19 PNP
N+
-3 base
250 m 10 cm BJT

collector emitter

Features to Note
Wide base width - low (<10) beta.
Lightly doped collector drift region - large breakdown voltage.
Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 3
 Darlington-connected BJTs

C B E
i E,D
I
C
N+ N+
i
B,D i
I B, M
P
B
B D

N- S i O2
M
D1
I + i i
C N
b = = b Db M+ b D+ b M C,D C, M
IB

Composite device has respectable beta.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 4

 Power BJT I-V Characteristic

quasi-saturation
hard
saturation -1 / R
d second breakdown

Features to Note
I B5 > I etc
i B4
C
I
B5 2nd breakdown - must be
avoided.
I
B4

active region primary

Quasi-saturation - unique to
I B3 breakdown power BJTs

I
B2
BVCBO > BVCEO - extended
blocking voltage range.
I
B1
I < 0
B
I = 0
B

BV
CEO v
BV BV
CEO(sus)
CBO
Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 5
 BJT Internal Current Components

E-B depletion
B C-B depletion
layer
I layer
B Ine and Ipe flow via diffusion. Inc
and Ipc flow via drift.
I pE + I + I
I pC C C
E N-
E
N+ P
Ine >> Ipe because of heavy emitter
- I - I nC
nE doping.

W Ine Inc because Lnb = {Dnb tnb}1/2

base
<< Wbase and collector area much
p,n p,n larger than emitter area.
Carrier distributions in
normal active region electrons
p Ipc << other current components
no
holes because very few holes in b-c space
charge region.
npo
p holes
no

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 6

 Power BJT Current Gain b

IC Inc since Ipc very small : IB = - IC - IB = - Inc+ Ine + Ipe

IB/ IC = 1/b = (Ine - Inc)/Inc + Ipe/Inc

(Ine - Inc)/Inc represents fraction of electrons injected into base that

recombine in the base. Minimize by having large values of tnb (for long
diffusion lengths) and short base widths Wbase

Ipe proportional to pno = (ni)2/Nde ; Minimize via large Nde

Short base width conflicts with need for larger base width needed in HV
BJTs to accomodate CB depletion region.

Long base lifetime conflicts with need for short lifetime for faster
switching speeds

Trade-offs (compromises) in these factors limit betas in power BJTs to

range of 5 to 20

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 7

 Beta versus Collect Current
log ( h )
FE
b
max
-1
Proportional to I
C

log ( I )
C
I I
C,max C,max
10

Beta decrease at large collector current due to high level injection effects
(conductivity modulation where dn = dp) in base.

When dn = dp, base current must increase faster than collector current to provide
extra holes. This constitutes a reduction in beta.

High level injection conditions aided by emitter current crowding.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 8

 Emitter Current Crowding
lateral
voltage drop
B B
E

+
N

current crowding
current crowding
C

IB proportional to exp{qVBE/(kT)}
Later voltage drops make VBE larger at edge of emitters.
Base/emitter current and thus carrier densities larger at edge of emitters. So-called emitter
current crowding.
This emitter current crowding leads to high level injection at relatively modest values of
current.
Reduce effect of current crowding by breaking emitters into many narrow regions connected
electrically in parallel.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 9

 Quasi-saturation in Power BJTs
B
E
Power BJT N+ P N - N+

+ V
BC -

Active region stored charge

VBC < 0

Quasi-saturation stored charge

VBC > 0 but drift region not

completely filled with excess
virtual base
carriers.
Q
2
Q1

Hard saturation
VBC > 0 and drift region
filled with excess carriers.
virtual base

Beta decreases in quasi-saturation because effective base width (virtual base) width has increased.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 10

 Generic BJT Application - Clamped Inductive Load
Vdc

D Model of an
F I o inductively-loaded
switching circuit

R
B
+ Q
v
i
-

Current source Io models an inductive load with an L/R time constant >> than switching period.

Positive base current turns BJT on (hard saturation). So-called forward bias operation.

Negative base current/base-emitter voltage turns BJT off. So-called reverse bais operation.

Free wheeling diode DF prevents large inductive overvoltage from developing across BJT
collector-emitter terminals.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 11

 Power BJT Turn-on Waveforms

I
B,on
i (t) t
B

t d,on

V
BE,on

v (t) t
BE
V
BE,off

t ri

Io

i (t)
C
t fv1

t
fv2
V V
dc CE,sat

v (t)
CE

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 12

 Excess Carrier Growth During BJT Turn-on

carrier
density time
versus
position

time

x
+
N P N- N+
emitter base collector collector
drift region contact

Growth of excess carrier distributions begins after td(on) when B-E junction becomes forward biased.
Entrance into quasi-saturation discernable from voltage or current waveform at start of time tvf2.
Collector current tailing due to reduced beta in quasi-saturation as BJT turns off.
Hard saturation entered as excess carrier distribution has swept across dirft region.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 13

 Turn-off Waveforms with Controlled Base Current
I B,off
I B,on diB /dt
i (t)
B t

V
BE,on

V
BE,off
ts
tfi

I
o

i (t)
C

trv
1
V
CE,sat
V
dc

v (t)
CE tr v
2

Base current must make a controlled transition (controlled value of -diB/dt) from
positive to negative values in order to minimize turn-off times and switching losses.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 14

 Controlled Turn-off Excess Carrier Removal
Q2
time

Q1 Q3

time

+ +
N P N- N
emitter base collector collector
drift region contact

ts = storage time = time required to remove excess charge Q3.

trv1 = time to remove charge Q2 holding transistor in quasi-saturation.
trv2 = time required for VCE to complete its growth to Vdc with BJT in active region.
tfi = time required to remove remaining stored charge Q1 in base and each edge of cut-off.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 15

 Turn-off Waveforms with Uncontrolled Base Current
I B,on I B,off

i (t) t
B

VBE,on
t s

v (t)
BE VBE,off

t collector current
fi1 "tailing"
t fi2
Io

i (t)
C
t rv1

VCE,sat
V
dc

v (t)
CE
t
rv2

Excessive switching losses with collector current tailing.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 16

 Uncontrolled Turn-off Excess Carrier Removal
time
carrier time
density
versus
position

time
time

x
+
N P N- N+
emitter base collector collector
drift region contact

Uncontrolled base current removes stored charge in base faster than in collector drift region.
Base-emitter junction reverse biased before collector-base junction.
Stored charge remaining in drift region now can be only removed by the negative base current
rather than the much larger collector current which was flowing before the B-E junction was
reverse biased.
Takes longer time to finish removal of drift region stored charge thus leading to collector current
tailing and excessive switching losses.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 17

 Darlington Switching Behavior
V
dc

D
F

R
B
+ Q
D
v
i Q
- M
D
1

Turn-on waveforms for Darlington very similar to single BJT circuit.

Turn-on times somewhat shorter in Darlington circuit because of large base drive for main BJT.
Turn-off waveforms significantly different for Darlington.
Diode D1 essential for fast turn-off of Darlington. With it, QM would be isolated without any
negative base current once QD was off.
Open base turn-off of a BJT relies on internal recombination to remove excess carriers and takes
much longe than if carriers are removed by carrier sweepout via a large collector current.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 18

 Darlington Turn-off Waveforms
I I B,off
B,on di B /dt
i (t)
B t

i (t)
B,D
t

be

i B , M (t)
I B,off

i (t) t
C,D

I o

i C , M (t) t
V
BE,on

vB E (t) t
V BE,off
Q & Q on Q off
D M D

V
CE,sat
Vd c

v (t) t
CE

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 19

 Power BJT Breakdown Voltage

Blocking voltage capability of BJT limited by breakdown of CB junction.

BVCBO = CB junction breakdown with emitter open.
BVCEO = CB junction breakdown with base open.
BVCEO = BVCBO/(b)1/n ; n = 4 for npn BJTs and n = 6 for PNP BJTs

BE junction forward biased even when base current = 0 by reverse current from CB junction.

Excess carriers injected into base from emitter and increase saturation current of CB junction.

Extra carriers at CB junction increase likelyhood of impact ionization at lower voltages , thus
decreasing breakdown voltage.

Wide base width to lower beta and increase BVCEO .

Typical base widths in high voltage (1000V) BJTs = 5 to 10 and BVCEO = 0.5 BVCBO .

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 20

 Avoidance of Reach-thru

B - V CB +

+ + C
+ -
E N+ P N N+
+ +
+

Reach-thru of CB depletion across base to emitter

Large electric field of depletion region will accelerate electrons from emitter across base and
into collector. Resulting large current flow will create excessive power dissipation.

Avoidance of reach-thru
Wide base width so depletion layer width less than base width at CB junction breakdown.
Heavier doping in base than in collector so that most of CB depletion layer is in drift region
and not in the base.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 21

 Second Breakdown

Precipitious drop in C-E voltage and perhaps

rise in collector current.

Simultaneous rise in highly localized regions of

power dissipation and increases in temperature
of same regions.
1. Direct observations via infrared cameras.
2. Evidence of crystalline cracking and even
localized melting.

2nd breakdown during BJT turn-off in Permanent damage to BJT or even device
step-down converter circuit. failure if 2nd breakdown not terminated within
a few sec.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 22

 2nd Breakdown and Current Density Nonuniformities
Minority carrier devices prone to thermal runaway.
Minority carrier density proportional to ni(T) which increases exponentially with temperature.
If constant voltage maintained across a minority carrier device, power dissipation causes
increases in temp. which in turn increases current because of carrier increases and thus better
conduction characteristic.
Increase in current at constant voltage increases power dissipation which further increases
temperature.
Positive feedback situation and potentially unstable. If temp. continues to increase, situation
termed thermal runaway.

Current densities nonuniformities in devices an accenuate

I problems.
Assume JA > JB and TA > TB
+ J
A J
V B As time proceeds, differences in J and T between regions A
- and B become greater.
If temp. on region A gets large enough so that ni > majority
J > J carrier doping density, thermal runaway will occur and
A B
device will be in 2nd breakdown.
Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 23
Current Crowding Enhancement of 2nd Breakdown Susceptibility
B lateral voltage
drop E

+
N

P
Emitter current crowding
during either turn-on or turn-off
accenuates propensity of BJTs
N
to 2nd breakdown.
current crowding current crowding
C

lateral voltage drop

Minimize by dividing emitter
B into many narrow areas
E
connected electrically in
+ parallel.
N

current
C crowding

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 24

 Velocity Saturation and Second Breakdown
Electron drift velocity
B
6
8x10
cm/sec E + N- +
C
N P Jc N

Electric field
E sat = 15 kV/cm

E
E max
B

E + N- +
C
N P Jc N x

Large current density in drift region - BJT active.

E Jc > qnNd Esat . Extra electrons needed to carry

1
extra current.

x
Negative space density gives rise to nonuniform
electric field.
Moderate current in drift region -
BJT active Emax may exceed impact ionization threshold
while total voltage < BVCEO.
Electric field E1 = Jc/(qnNd) < Esat

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 25

 Contributions to BJT On-State Losses
E

+
N R
c
- V
BE,sat - V BC,sat
V
BE,sat
P
+ +
I - - V BC,sat
C V
d
N
- + I
C
N+
Re

VBE,sat - VBC,sat typically 0.1-0.2 V at

C moderate values of collector current.
Pon = IC VCE,sat
Rise in VBE,sat - VBC,sat at larger currents
due to emitter current crowding and
VCE,sat = VBE,sat - VBC,sat + Vd + IC(Rc + Re)
conductivity modulation in base.

Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 26

 BJT Safe Operating Areas

Forward bias safe operating area Reverse bias safe operating area

log( i C ) switching trajectory of diode-

clamped inductive load circuit
I
CM i
C
I
-5 CM
10 sec

RBSOA
T j,max
-4
10 sec

V
BE,off < 0
2nd -3 V =0
2nd 10 sec BE,off
breakdown
breakdown

dc BV v
BV CBO CE

BV log ( v )
CEO CE
Copyright by John Wiley & Sons 2003 BJTs - 27