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2018-2019
CHAPTER 3
When the electrons that have recombined with holes as valence electrons
leave the crystalline structure of the base, they become free electrons in the
metallic base lead and produce the external base current. Most of the free
electrons that have entered the base do not recombine with holes because the
base is very thin. As the free electrons move toward the reverse-biased BC
junction, they are swept across into the collector region by the attraction of
the positive collector supply voltage. The free electrons move through the
collector region, into the external circuit, and then return into the emitter
region along with the base current, as indicated. The emitter current is slightly
greater than the collector current because of the small base current that splits
off from the total current injected into the base region from the emitter.
Type/Symbol
IE = IC + IB
IC = IC majority + ICO (minority)
The emitter current is the sum of the collector current and the
small base current.
IE = IC + IB
Basic Operation
• For both NPN and PNP transistors, VBB forward-biases the BE
junction and VCC reverse-biases the BC junction.
• Look at this one circuit as two separate circuits, the base-emitter
(left side) circuit and the collector-emitter (right side) circuit.
• Note that the emitter leg serves as a conductor for both circuits.
• The amount of current flow in the base-emitter circuit controls the
amount of current that flows in the collector circuit.
• Small changes in base-emitter current yields a large change in
collector-current.
• VBB – Base Supply Voltage
• VCC – Collector Supply Voltage
DC Beta (DC ) and DC Alpha (DC )
• The dc current gain of a transistor is the ratio of the dc collector
current (IC) to the dc base current (IB) and is designated dc beta
(DC ).
• Typical values of DC range from less than 20 to 200 or higher. DC is
usually designated as an equivalent hybrid (h) parameter, hFE, on
transistor datasheets. h-parameters are covered in Chapter 6. All you
need to know now is that
• Typically, values of DC range from 0.95 to 0.99 or greater, but DC is
always less than 1. The reason is that IC is always slightly less than
IE by the amount of IB. For example, if IE = 100 mA and IB = 1 mA, then
IC = 99 mA and DC = 0.99.
BJT Characteristics & Parameters
The collector characteristic
curves illustrate the relationship
of the 3 transistor currents. By
setting up other values of base
current, a family of collector
curves is develop. Beta() is the
ratio of collector current to
base current.
DC= IC/IB
β α
α β
β1 α 1
I C βI B I E (β 1)I B
BJT Characteristics
• The beta for a transistor is not always constant.
• Temperature and collector current both affect beta, not to
mention the normal inconsistencies during the
manufacture of the transistor.
• There are also maximum power ratings to consider.
• The data sheet provides information on these
characteristics.
EXAMPLE
What is the βDC for the transistor shown?
SOLUTION
1. Choose a base current near the center of the
range, in this case IB3.
2. Read the corresponding collector current.
3. Calculate the ratio.
I C 5mA
167
I B 30A
BJT Characteristics
• The collector characteristic curves show the relationship of the 3
transistor currents.
• Curve shown is for a fixed based current.
• Saturation region – collector current has reached a maximum and is
independent of the base current.
• Ideally, when VCE exceeds 0.7 V, the BC junction become reverse-biased
and transistor goes into active/linear region. IC increases very slightly as
VCE increases due to widening of BC depletion region.
• When VCE reaches a sufficiently high voltage, reverse-biased BC junction
goes into breakdown region; and IC increases rapidly as point C.
23
BJT Characteristics
• Cutoff – condition in which there is no base current,
IB=0 which results in only an extremely small leakage
current (ICEO) in the collector circuit. For practical
work, ICEO is assumed to be 0. So VCE = VCC.
VC VCC VCE
IC I SAT
RC RC
In saturation, an increase
of base current has no
effect on the collector
circuit and the relation
IC=βDCIB is no longer valid.
IC = βDC * IB
BJT Characteristics
• DC load line –
represent circuit that
is external to the
transistor. Drawn by
connecting saturation
and cutoff point.
EXAMPLE
Q2
3 0.7
IB 10.45A
220k
I C DC I B 200(10.45A) 2.09mA
DC = IC/IB
BJT Configuration
What we ultimately
determine by use of
Kirchhoff’s voltage law for
series circuits is that:
1. VBB is distributed across the
base-emitter junction and
RB in the base circuit.
2. VCC is distributed
proportionally across RC and
the transistor (VCE) in the
collector circuit.
BJT Configuration