A PRECISE MODEL FOR THE DC AND TRANSIENT

CHARACTERISTICS OF BJTs
M. Bayer, R. Kraus, K . Aoffniann
University of Bundeswehr Munich
Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85577 Neubiberg, Germany

Abstract - This paper presents a circuit model of a BJT based on the saturation mode the hole collector layer is flowed with mino-
the calculation of the charge carrier distribution in the base and rity carriers, with densities ~ ( 5 8and
) p ( x c ) at the edges of the
in the lightly doped collector layer by approximation of the time v- zone, (fig.2a). With increasing VCEthe depletion layer spreads
derivatives. All important phenomena like transient behaviour, out into the collector layer, the carrier density decreases to zero
emitter and collector recombination, temperature dependence and at IA. The voltage drop along the collector layer is divided in
conductivity modulation are included. Excellent agreement can be two parts, one part (I&) along the resistance of the neutral zone,
observed between simulations and measurements. the other part (VBC)along the carrier zone. This state is called
quasi-operation-mode (fig. 2b). Finally at high values of VCE,the
whole collector is extracted of carriers and the BJT operates in
INTRODUCTION
the active mode (fig. 2c).
The currents IC and 1, are described by the following equations
Circuit designers need models which predict accurately the real
depending on the charges and the voltages for the static and dy-
turn-on- and turn-off behaviour of power semiconductor devices.
namic case :
The model should simulate in particular typical overshoot volta-
ges endangering neighboured circuit elements due to the presence
of collector inductances.
Therefore an exact physical description of the injected currents
and the charge carrier distributions is the most appropriate way
to simulate the typical transient behaviour of power devices.
The BJT models published so far require either a division of the
operating range into different regions where specific equations are I,C Qc
=-
7
+-
aQc + I;c
at
(4)
valid [1],[2]or they reproduce only the DC characteristics [3],[4].
A numerical solution has also been proposed [5].
The presented model of a BJT consideres transient and static be- (5)
haviour and takes into account many effects, in particular tempe-
rature behaviour and conductivity modulation. The influence of
two-dimensional effects can be neglected because of the cellular QC,QB: See fig.2 a) -c)
structure of the emitter. 7 : Mean ambipolar lifetime

The equations (1) and (2) are known from the bipolar transistor
MODELDESCRIPTION
model, presented in [4]. The equations (4) and ( 5 ) result from the
continuity equations.
The triple diffused structure of the BJT and the electron and hole
injection currents I,,B ,Ipc , I p ,Ikc
~ are pictured in fig.1. The ex-
cess miuority carrier distributions of the three different operation
modes related to the static characteristics are shown in fig.2. In

0-7803-1859-5/94/$4.00 1994 IEEE

64
 In the steady-state case (dp/dt = 0) the solution of (7) can be
analytically determined. Combining the latter with the boundary
conditions at x = Z A and x = X B the following equations result for
the collector charge Qo and the position of the edge of the neutral
layer X A (fig.2 quasi-saturation mode).

XA = XB + Larctanh
( -p/L
aplxJ
p ( ~ B ) , p ( ~ c ) :Charge carrier densities at the
right and the left edge of the
charge carrier zone in the low do-
Fig.1 Hole and electron currents of a B J T
ped collector layer
L: Ambipolar diffusion length
W: Width of the charge carrier zone
in the low doped collector layer

*7
quasi saturation m o d e active mode

Rase u-Zone Base u-Zone

Fig.2 Excess minority carrier distributions related to the static characteristics.

Steady-state solution

The low doped part of the collector layer operates normally in high The term ap/ax can be derived from the continuity equations :
level injection, consequently the ambipolar transport and continu- InB + 6IpC
(11)
ity equations are adequate to describe the carrier behaviour. The
ambipolar diffusion equation for the excess hole densities is given The steady state expressions for ~ ( x B and
) p(xc) can now be de-

by termined depending on the voltages V’c, the current i,,~and the

calculated position of XA:
(7)

D: Ambipolar diffusion constant

65

The equation (12) is valid for both saturation- and quasi- satura-
tion mode, while equation (13) describes the saturation mode only
(p(xc) equals zero in the quasi - saturation mode).
Dynamic solution
To solve the time-dependent ambipolar diffusion equation analy-
tically an approximation for the time derivative is necessary. An
approach is used which has been presented for the power diode in
PI.
The equation is explained in fig.3 refering to the turn-off behaviour
of the BJT. The variation of the excess minority carriers is pic-
tured for successive time steps in fig.3. The pictures below show
how the three terms of (14) compose the dp/at-approximation and
contribute to the variation of p(x,t) to describe the complete turn-
off process. At the beginning of tlie process, the first term of (14)
is sufficient t o describe the bend of the density curve a t the left
edge caused by an negative I B which extracts the holes (fig.3 a).
The second term describes the variation a t the right edge near tlie
heavy doped part of the collector which is necessary to approxi-
mate p(x, t ) in the following timesteps t2 ...t4 additionally to the
approximation by the first term (fig.3 b). Finally, the third term
describes the variation of the charge if both edges are reduced to
zero and only a rest of charge carriers must be extracted (fig.3 c).
Inserting (14) in (7) and iiitegrating d2p/ax2 two times results
in the time dependent charge carrier distribution p(x, t ) . Fur-
thermore the collector charge QC as function of of ap/atlz, and
ap/at(,, and the coefficient up in dependence of the steepness fac-
tor n (14).
66
The assumption ap,,/at = 0 simplifies the expression for QC and
results in (16). The assumption can be justified by the fact that
the collect.or charge is extracted by a low base current that effects
a high decrease of the charge carrier at the right side x = xg but
does not essentially effect the left side.
The coefficient a, derived from n by
The steepness n can be calculated by the equation
n = qAwp (-aP(XB)/at) -
(QOlr)- I ~ c
and results of the fact that a diange of the charge Qc in the low
doped collector layer must not exceed the amount of the present
charge Q c .
RESULTS
Fig.4 and 5 compare the simulated static characteristics of a
SIRET-BJT with the measurements pictured by a curve tracer.
Both were performed a t different temperatures 50°C and 100°C.
Best agreement is obtained for the active and saturation region.
The slight deviation in the quasi-saturation region is easy to ex-
plain. The doping profile between the heavy and the low doped
part of the collector layer is only implemented in the model by two
doping steps. These determine the slope of the Ic(VCE)- curve,
depending on the variable resistance between the two differently
doped parts of the collector.
Comparing the static characteristics of 50°C and 100°C, the
active- and quasi-saturation region can be distinguished by the
temperature behaviour. The current gain increases with tempe-
rature and leads to an increase of IC. On the other hand the
collector resistance of the neutral zone in the collector layer incre-
ases with temperature effecting an decrease of IC. The first effect
dominates in the active region, the second in the quasi-saturation
region. Therefore an inverse temperature behaviour with respect
to IC in the two regions can be observed (fig.6).
Fig7 and 8 show the siiiiulation and measurement for the transi-
ent case. The SIRET-BJT is succ,essively turned on and turned
off by a double pulse at the base contact (fig.9).
The turn on process starts with a very low amount of I , which
injects holes i n tlie base and effects a forward biased BE - Di-
ode. The increase of the collector current IC is delayed by 20011s.
The slope of IC after the turn on process depends on the value of
the inductivity in the circuit (fig.7), which determines the d i / d t -
behaviour of I C .
The BJT is turned off if the base current le has extracted tlie
charge from the base. IC reduces instantaneously to zero. The
turn-off process leads to severe oscillations of I C . Fig.8 shows a
simulated and measured turn-off behaviour caused by a low and a
high base current.
 I -
T

-r

Fig.3 6'plat-approximation related to the turn-off process.

Fig.4 Static characteristics at 5OoC, measurement(-) and Fig.5 Static characteristics at 100°C, measurement(-) and
simulation(- -). simulation (- -).

67
 100 nH

-8-
. . . . .
U I P
I. I. I. I. I. --
I

I REFERENCES

[l] Allard, Morel, Chante, ”State-variable modeling of high level

injection regions in power devices”, publ. PESC 92
[Z] C. Xu and D. Schroder,”A power bipolar junction transi-
stor model describing static and dynamic behaviour”, IEEE
Trans., Power Elec.,7,734, (1992)
[3] H. de Graaf and F.Klaasen, ”Compact Transistor Modelling
for Circuit Design” ,Springer-Verlag, Wien, (1990)
[4] Jan E. Getreu: ”Modeling the Bipolar Transistor”; Elsevier
. IUI
Scientific publishing company, 1978
[5] H. Goebel, K. Hoffniann, ”A Hybrid-Method for Modeling
Semiconductor Power Devices”, publ. PESC 93
Fig.7 Transient measurement of IB and IC at 25°C.
[6] R.Kraus, K.Hoffmann, H.-J.Mattausch, ” A precise model for
the transient characteristics of power diodes”, publ. PESC
92

The project is supported by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)

Fig.8 Transient behaviour for a low and a strong current IB at

25°C.

68