Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

Internal capacitances and

High Frequency Model
 Base Charging (or)Diffusion Capacitance Cde
• When the transistor (npn) is operating in the active or saturation mode,
minority-carrier charge Qn is stored in the base region.
 forward-base
F
transit time

stored electron charge: Qn   F iC

• where F is a time constant = W2/2Dn.
• F is forward base-transit time – the time e- takes to transit the base (10
ps < F < 100 ps)
• While operating in the reverse active mode, the corresponding time
constant is R.
• The current iC has an exponential relationship with vbe, so Qn will depend
on vbe.
• We define small-signal diffusion capacitance Cde as

dQn di I
small-signal diffusion capacitance: Cde    F C   F gm   F C
dvBE dvBE vT
 Base Emitter Junction Capacitance Cje

• The Base-emitter junction capacitance or depletion layer

capacitance given by

base-emitter junction capacitance: C je  2C je 0

• where Cje0 is the value of Cje at zero EBJ voltage.

• It is combined with Cde to give C = Cde + Cje.

 The Collector-Base Junction Capacitance C
• The collector-base junction is reverse biased when the BJT is in active
mode. Its junction or depletion capacitance C , is given by

C 0
depletion capacitance: C   m
 VCB 
1  
 V0c 


• where C0 value of C at zero voltage,

• V0c  CBJ built-in voltage (typical value 0.75 V) and

• m grading coefficient (typical value 0.2-0.5)

 The High-Frequency Hybrid- Model

 The figure shows the hybrid- model showing the capacitive effects.

 As Cde and Cje are in parallel, they are merged into C = Cde + Cje and the collector-base
capacitance C braces the fictitious B’ and the collector.

 C is in the range of a few pF to tens of pF whereas C is in the range of a fraction of a

pF to a few pF.
 The High-Frequency Hybrid- Model

 Resistor rx is added to model the resistance of the silicon material of

the base region between the base terminal B and a fictitious internal,
or intrinsic, base terminal that is right under the emitter region

 The resistance rx is in the region of a few 10s of ohms

 Since rx < rπ , its effect is negligible at low frequencies.

The Cutoff Frequency
Circuit for deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
Circuit for deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
Circuit for deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
Circuit for deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
Deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
Deriving hfe(s) = Ic/Ib
The Cutoff Frequency
Unity Gain frequency
Unity Gain frequency