Chapter 2

Bipolar Junction Transistors

Lecturer: Dr. Tran Vu Hoang

 Outline

Ø BJT Structure

Ø Operation

Ø Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Ø Limits Of Operation
 BJT Structure
• BJT (bipolar junction transistor) constructed with
three layer semiconductor:
• Two p- and One n-type layer of material (PNP)
• Two n- and One p-type layer of material (NPN)
• BJT is constructed with 3 doped semiconductor
regions separated by 2 p-n junctions
• Emitter - most heavily doped
• Base – thin and lightly doped
• Collector – largest and moderately doped
 BJT Structure
The outer layers have widths much greater than the
sandwiched p- or n-type material

npn transistor pnp transistor

BJT Structure
 Outline

Ø BJT Structure

Ø Operation

Ø Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Ø Limits Of Operation
 Operation

• Three operating regions:

• Active region: B-E junction is forward-biased, B-C junction is reverse-biased
• Saturation region: B-E and B-C are forward-biased
• Cutoff region: B-E and B-C are reverse-biased

VCC VCC
VBB VBB
 Operation - Active

• The forward bias from

emitter to base narrow
the EB depletion region
• The reverse bias from
collector to base widens
the CB depletion region
(stronger electric field)

Forward-reverse bias of a BJT

(Common Emitter configuration)
 Operation - Active

• Majority carriers (+) will diffuse

across the forward-biased p-n
junction into n-type material.
(p-type emitter is heavily doped)
• A very small number of carriers (+)
will through n-type material to
the base terminal
(The base region is lightly doped
and very thin)

Forward biased junction

of a PNP Transistor
 Operation - Active

• The large number of majority

carriers will diffuse across the
reversed-biased junction into
the p-type material connected to
the collector terminal
• the force of attraction
between the positive and
negative ions
• voltage source

Reverse-biased junction
of a PNP Transistor
 Operation - Active

Leakage current
IC is measured in mA
ICO is measured in !A or nA
 Operation - Active

Forward bias of a BJT

(Common Emitter configuration)
Operation - Active
Operation - Active
Operation - Active
Operation - Active
 Operation - Active

NPN PNP
Forward bias of a BJT
(Common Emitter configuration)
Operation – Saturation
Operation – Saturation
 Outline

Ø BJT Structure

Ø Operation

Ø Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Ø Limits Of Operation
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters
• Base emitter current changes yields
large changes in collector-emitter
current. The factor of this change is
called beta (!), DC current gain of
transistor.
%#
!"# =
%&
• !DC is usually equivalent hybrid (h)
parameters hFE on transistor datasheets.
• 'DC: ratio of collector current (IC) to the
emitter current (IE) (less used parameter)
()
'"# = ( (0.9 to 0.998)
*
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters
• Relationship between amplification factors
! and "
$ '
"= !=
$%& '(&
• Relationship between currents
)* = !)+ ), = (! + 1))+
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters
• There are three key dc voltages and
three key dc currents to be considered.
• IB: dc base current
• IE: dc emitter current
• IC: dc collector current
• VBE: dc voltage across base-emitter junction
• VCB: dc voltage across collector-base
junction
• VCE: dc voltage from collector to emitter
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters
• Analysis of this transistor circuit to
predict the DC voltages and currents
using Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff’s voltage law
and the beta for transistor.
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Base-Emitter (Forward Bias) Collector – Base (Reverse Bias)

VBB - IBRB - VBE = 0 VBB - IBRB - VBE = 0

VBB - VBE VCB = VCE - VBE
IB =
RB

Collector - Emitter
VCC - ICRC - VCE = 0
VCE = VCC - ICRC
IC = bDCIB

0.7 VBE will be used in most analysis examples.

Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

NPN PNP
Forward bias of a BJT
(Common Emitter configuration)
Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

NPN PNP
Forward bias of a BJT
(Common Emitter configuration)
Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base Common- Emitter Common- Collector

28
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
!" = !$ + !&
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Input set of characteristic: driving point
or input parameters
• Relate an input current (IE) to an input
voltage (VBE) for various levels of output
voltage (VCB)

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Input set of characteristic: driving point
or input parameters
• VCB: have a small effect on the
characteristic.
• IE and VBE: similar to the diode
characteristics

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base

The equivalent model

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Output set of characteristic
• Relate an output current (IC) to an output
voltage (VCB) for various levels of input
current (IE)

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Three basic regions:
• Active: employed for linear (undistorted)
amplifiers (C-B: reverse-biased, B-E:
forward-biased)

• Cutoff:
• Saturation:

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Three basic regions:
• Active:
• Cutoff: IC = ICBO » 0 (C-B and B-E:
reverse-biased)
• Saturation:

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-base
• Three basic regions:
• Active:
• Cutoff:
• Saturation: the region of characteristic to
the left of VCB = VCBsat » 0 (C-B and B-E:
forward-biased)
• the exponential increase in IC as the voltage
VCB increases toward 0V

Input or driving point characteristics

 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
!" = !$ + !&
!' = (!"
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
• Input set of characteristic:
• Relate an input current (IB) to an input
voltage (VBE) for various levels of output
voltage (VCE)
• Note that the magnitude of IB is in !A
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
• Output set of characteristic:
• Relate an output current (IC) to an output
voltage (VCE) for various levels of input
current (IB)
• Curve of IB is not horizontal (VCE will
influence IC)
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
• Active region:
• Curves for IB are nearly straight and
equally spaced
• Employed for voltage, current, or
power amplification
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
• Cut-off region: (switching purposes)
• IC is not equal to zero when IB is zero
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Emitter
• Saturation: (switching purposes)
• VCE= VCEsat » 0
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Collector
!" = !$ + !&
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Collector
• Input set of characteristic:
 Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Common-Collector IE(mA)
IB=100µA
• Output set of characteristic: 10

IB=80µA
8

IB=60µA
6

IB=40µA
4

IB=20µA
2

0 2 4 6 8 10 UEC(V)
 Outline

Ø BJT Structure

Ø Operation

Ø Transistor Characteristics And Parameters

Ø Limits Of Operation
 Limits Of Operation
• Three maximum values IC (mA)
70µA
should be noticed:
60µA
• PCmax: maximum power ICmax 50
50µA
dissipation at collector
• VCEmax(VCEO): maximum Saturation
Vùng 40
40µA
bão hòa
collector-emitter voltage region PCmax = VCEIC = 300mW
• ICmax: maximum collector 30 30µA
current
20µA
• Few rules for BJT 20

transistor used as an 10µA

10
amplifier:
• Operate in active region IB = 0µA
0 5 10 15 20
• IC < ICmax 0.3 V ICEO VCE max
VCE (V)
VCE sat Vùng ngắt
Cutoff region
• PC < PCmax
Limits Of Operation