Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

BJT structure and I-V characteristics

Physical operation of power BJTs
Switching characteristics
Breakdown voltage
Second breakdown
On-state voltage
Safe operating areas

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 Basic Geometry of Power BJTs
emitter
base
opening
metallization
emitter
metallization

SiO 2

N+ N+ N+ N+
P

-
N

N+

collector

Multiple narrow emitters - minimize emitter current crowding.

Multiple parallel base conductors - minimize parasitic resistance in series with the base.

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 BJT Construction Parameters

base emitter
collector
+ 19 -3
10 N 10 cm
base NPN
BJT
16 -3
5 20 P 10 cm
emitter

50200 14
(collector drift N
- 10 cm
-3
collector
region)
250 19
N+ 10 cm
-3
base
PNP
BJT

collector
emitter

Features to Note
Wide base width - low (<10) beta.
Lightly doped collector drift region - large breakdown voltage.

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 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- SiO2
M
D1
+ i i
C
= DM+ D+ M
= N C,D C,M
B

Composite device has respectable beta.

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 Power BJT I-V Characteristic
quasi-saturation
hard
saturation -1 / R
d second breakdown Features to Note
2nd breakdown - must be
i I B5> I etc
B4 avoided.
C
I
B5

Quasi-saturation - unique to
I
B4 power BJTs
active region primary
I B3 breakdown
BVCBO > BVCEO - extended
I
blocking voltage range.
B2

I
B1
I <0
B
I =0
B

BV
CEO v
BV BV
CEO(sus) CBO

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 BJT Internal Current Components

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

W
base Ine Inc because Lnb = {Dnb nb}1/2
<< 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

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 Power BJT Current Gain

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

IB/ IC = 1/ = (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 nb (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 in these factors limit betas in power BJTs to range of 5 to 20

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 Beta versus Collect Current

log ( h )
FE

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 n = p) in base.
When n = p, 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.

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 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.

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

stored charge
Active region
VBC < 0

Quasi-saturation
stored charge
VBC > 0 but drift region not
completely filled with excess
carriers. virtual base

Q
2
Q 1

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.

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 Generic BJT Application - Clamped Inductive Load
V dc

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.

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 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

I o

i (t)
C
t fv1

t
fv2
V dc V
CE,sat

v (t)
CE

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 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.

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

V
BE,on

V BE,off

t s
t fi

I
o

i (t)
C

t rv
1
V CE,sat
V
dc

v (t)
CE t rv
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.

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 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.

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

i (t) t
B

V BE,on
t s

v (t)
BE V
BE,off

t fi1 collector current

"tailing"
t fi2
I o

i (t)
C
t rv1

V CE,sat
V
dc

v (t)
CE
t
rv2

Excessive switching losses with collector current tailing.

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 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.

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 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.

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

i (t)
B,D
t

be

i (t)
B,M I B,off

i (t) t
C,D

I o

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

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

V
CE,sat
V dc

v (t) t
CE

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 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/()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 .

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 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.

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 Second Breakdown

Precipitious drop in C-E voltage and perhaps

rise in collector current.

i (t)
C
t Simultaneous rise in highly localized regions of
power dissipation and increases in temperature
of same regions.
1. Direct observations via infrared cameras.
v (t)
CE
2. Evidence of crystalline cracking and even
t localized melting.
few microseconds
or less
Permanent damage to BJT or even device
failure if 2nd breakdown not terminated within
2nd breakdown during BJT turn-off in a few sec.
step-down converter circuit.

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 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 J
V
A 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.
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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
E B into many narrow areas
connected electrically in
+ parallel.
N

current
C crowding

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 Velocity Saturation and Second Breakdown
Electron drift velocity

6
8x10
cm/sec B

E + N- +
C
N P Jc N
Electric field
= 15 kV/cm
sat

B
max
E + N- +
C
N P Jc N

x
Large current density in drift region - BJT active.

1
Jc > qnNd Esat . Extra electrons needed to carry
extra current.
x
Negative space density gives rise to nonuniform
Moderate current in drift region - electric field.
BJT active
Emax may exceed impact ionization threshold
Electric field E1 = Jc/(qnNd) < Esat while total voltage < BVCEO.

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 Contributions to BJT On-State Losses
E

+
N Rc
- V
BE,sat - V BC,sat
V
BE,sat
P
+ +
- V BC,sat
I -
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.

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 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
10
-5
sec CM

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

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 Thank You

Qs ??????
o anoopmathew@ieee.org

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