Bipolar Junction Transistor

Simplified block diagrams and circuit symbols of (a) npn and (b) pnp bipolar transistors.

Cross section of (a) a conventional integrated circuit npn bipolar transistor and (b) an
oxide-isolated npn bipolar transistor.
Idealized doping profile of a uniformly doped npn bipolar transistor.
BJT Operation

(a) Biasing of an npn bipolar transistor in the forward-active mode, (b) minority carrier
distribution in an npn bipolar transistor operating in the forward active mode, and (c)
energy-band diagram of the npn bipolar transistor under zero bias and under a forward-
active mode bias.
Cross section of an npn bipolar transistor showing the injection and collection of electrons
in the forward-active mode.
Simplified Transistor Current Relation

ABE-Cross sectional area

Minority carrier distributions and basic currents in a forward-biased npn bipolar transistor.
Emitter Current

Ideal bipolar transistor common-base current–

voltage characteristics.

Base Current
Mode of Operation

 Forward Active
 Reverse Active
 Cut off
 Saturation

An npn bipolar transistor in a common-emitter circuit configuration.

The Modes of Operation
 Majority carrier electrons from the emitter will not be
injected into the base.

 B–C junction is reverse biased: Emitter and

collector currents will be zero

An npn bipolar transistor in a common-emitter circuit

configuration.

If VCC is large enough and if VR is small

enough, then VCB > 0: B–C junction is reverse Common-Emitter configuration
biased for this npn transistor

Cut-off

Forward active mode

Bipolar transistor common-emitter current voltage characteristics with load line superimposed.
Amplification with Bipolar Transistors

Junction voltage conditions for the

four operating modes of a bipolar
Common-emitter npn bipolar circuit transistor.
configuration with a time-varying signal
voltage vi included in the base–emitter
loop.
(a) Input sinusoidal signal voltage. (b) Sinusoidal base and collector currents superimposed on
the quiescent dc values. (c) Sinusoidal voltage across the R C resistor super imposed on the
quiescent dc value.
Minority Carrier Distribution

currents in the bipolar transistor- determined by minority carrier diffusion

Geometry of the npn bipolar transistor used to calculate the minority carrier distribution.
 Forward-Active Mode

Base Region

Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar

transistor operating in the forward-active mode.
Excess electron concentration is defined as:

pE0 , nB0 , and pC0-thermal-equilibrium minority carrier concentrations in the emitter, base,
and functions pE (x ‘), nB(x), and pC(x ‘’)-steady-state minority carrier concentrations in the
emitter, base, and collector
Where LB- minority carrier diffusion length in base

Excess minority carrier electron concentration

B-E junction is forward biased, at boundary condition x=0

B-C junction is reverse biased, at boundary condition x=xB

Excess minority carrier electron concentration in base region

xB<LB

Hyperbolic sine function and its linear approximation.

Emitter Region

Steady-state excess hole concentration

Collector Region
 Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar transistor operating in (a) cutoff and (b)
saturation.

(b) Cross section of an npn bipolar

(a) Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar
transistor showing the injection and
transistor operating in the inverse-active mode.
collection of electrons in the inverse
active mode.
 Transistor Currents and Low frequency Common-base Current Gain

Particle current density or fl ux components in an npn bipolar transistor operating in the

forward-active mode.

Current density components in an npn bipolar transistor operating in the forward-active mode.
Derivation of Transistor Current Components and Current Gain Factors

Emitter Injection Efficiency Factor

Base Transport Factor
 Recombination Factor

The recombination factor is a function of the B–E voltage. As V BE increases, the

recombination current becomes less dominant and the recombination factor approaches
unity.
common-base current gain