BJT BIASING AND STABILIZATION

The operating point or quiescent point (Q-point)

A designer of a circuit may choose a point on the output characteristics of a BJT as the point of
operation. The location of this point may lie in the saturation region, or active region or cut-off
region depending on the aims of the designer. The Q-point is determined by DC voltages and
currents. When the AC signal is applied to the BJT circuit, voltages and currents variations
introduced by the AC signal are considered with reference to the Q-point voltage and current.
The Q-point is located along what is called load line (more on this later).
REQUIREMENTS OF A BIASING CIRCUIT:

- The emitter-base junction must be forward biased and collector-base junction must be reversed
biased. That is, the transistors should be operated in the active region.
- The circuit design should provide a degree of temperature stability.
- The operating point should be made independent of transistor parameters (like β)
- Techniques used to maintain the Q – point stable:

STABILIZATION TECHNIQUE:

This refers to the use of resistive biasing circuits which allow IB to vary so as to keep IC
relatively constant with variations in ICO = ICBO , β and VBE

COMPENSATION TECHNIQUE:

This refers to the use of temperature sensitive devices such as diodes, transistors,
thermistors, etc, which provide compensating voltages and current to maintain the operating
point stable.

STABILITY FACTORS:

- The stability factor is a measure of stability provided by the biasing circuit.

- Stability factor indicates the degree of change in operating point due to variation in
temperature.
- Since there are 3 temperature dependent variables, there are 3 stability factors.

Here we are interested in S only (not Sꞌ and Sꞌꞌ)

Note:
- Ideally, stability factor S should be perfectly zero to keep the operating point stable.
- Practically stability factor should have the value as minimum as possible.

EXPRESSION FOR STABILITY FACTOR S:

Recall
But

TYPES OF BIASING CIRCUITS

1. FIXED BIAS CIRCUIT:

Stability factor S

Advantages

- It is simple to shift the operating point anywhere in the active region by merely changing the
base resistor (RB).
- Few components are required.

Disadvantages

- IC does not remain constant with variation in temperature or power supply voltage. Therefore
the operating point is unstable.
- Changes in VBE will change IB and thus affect the Q-point.

- When the transistor is replaced with another one, considerable change in the
value of ß can be expected. Due to this change the operating point will shift.

2. COLLECTOR TO BASE FEEDBACK RESISTOR BIAS CIRCUIT:

Stability factor S

Thus S is small for collector to fixed bias circuit; hence this provides better stability than fixed
bias circuit.
When IC rises the voltage across RC increases; causing VC to decrease. When VC decreases, IB
decreases and this causes IC to fall.

Advantage

Circuit stabilizes the operating point against variations in temperature and ß (i.e.
replacement of transistor

Disavantage

The resistor RB causes an AC feedback, reducing the voltage gain of the amplifier.

3. Potential divider bias circuit:

The circuit can be simplified so that it becomes,

Stability factor S
For greater thermal stability, the value of S should be small. This can be achieved by making R0
/RE small. If R0 /RE is made very small, then it can be neglected as compared to 1.

This is the ideal value of S and leads to the maximum thermal stability.

Let E0 = V2
In this circuit, excellent stabilisation is provided by RE

Advantages

- Operating point is almost independent of ß variation.

- Operating point stabilized against shift in temperature.

Disadvantages
- As ß-value is fixed for a given transistor, this relation can be satisfied either by keeping RE
fairly large
- If RE is of large value, high VCC is necessary. This increases cost as well as precautions
necessary while handling.