Bipolar Junction Transistor

(BJT)
 Bipolar Junction Transistors
 Introduction
 Overview of BJT Construction
 Bipolar Transistor Operation
 Transistor Configurations
 Input/output Characteristics of BJT
BJT as Switch
 BJT as Amplifier (CE)

 Invented in 1947 by Dr J. Bardeen of Bell Telephone Laboratories.

 Transistor has now become the heart of most electronic applications.
 BJTs are one of the main ‘building-blocks’ in electronic systems
 Introduction
 The basic of electronic system nowadays is semiconductor device.
 They are used in both analogue and digital circuits
 It can be use as amplifier and logic switches.
 They incorporate two p-n junctions and three layers.
 BJT consists of three terminal:
 Collector : C
 Base :B
 Emitter : E
 Two types of BJT : n-p-n and p-n-p
 The middle section is a very thin layer. This is the most important
factor in the function of a transistor.
 Introduction

 A transistor consists of two p-n junctions formed by sandwiching

either p-type or n-type semiconductor between a pair of opposite
types.
 An n-p-n transistor is composed of two n-type semiconductors
separated by a thin section of p-type as shown in Fig. (i)
 However, a p-n-p transistor is formed by two p-sections separated
by a thin section of n-type as shown in Fig. (ii)
 Transistor Construction
 Three layer semiconductor device consisting:
2 n- and 1 p-type layers of material  n-p-n transistor
2 p- and 1 n-type layers of material p-n-p transistor
 The term bipolar reflects the fact that holes and electrons participate in
the injection process into the oppositely polarized material
 A single p-n junction has two different types of bias: Forward bias and
Reverse bias
 Transistor Construction
• Collector doping is usually ~ 106
• Base doping is slightly higher ~ 107 – 108
• Emitter doping is much higher ~ 1015

p-n-p BJT n-p-n BJT

(n+) and (p+) – heavy doped regions; Doping in E>B>C
 Transistor Construction
 A transistor has three sections of doped semiconductors. The section
on one side is the emitter and the section on the opposite side is the
collector. The middle section is called the base and forms two
junctions between the emitter and collector.
(i) Emitter : The section on one side that supplies charge carriers
(electrons or holes) is called the emitter. The emitter is always
forward biased w.r.t. base so that it can supply a large number of
majority carriers.
(ii) Collector : The section on the other side that collects the charges
is called the collector. The collector is always reverse biased.
(iii) Base: The middle section which forms two p-n junctions between
the emitter and collector is called the base. The base-emitter junction
is forward biased, allowing low resistance for the emitter circuit. The
base-collector junction is reverse biased and provides high resistance
in the collector circuit.
 Transistor Construction
 The emitter is heavily doped so that it can inject a large number of charge carriers
(electrons or holes) into the base. The base is lightly doped and very thin ; it passes
most of the emitter injected charge carriers to the collector. The collector is moderately
doped.
 During transistor operation, much heat is produced at the collector junction. The
collector is made larger to dissipate the heat.
 The resistance of emitter diode (forward biased) is very small as compared to collector
diode (reverse biased). Therefore, forward bias applied to the emitter diode is generally
very small whereas reverse bias on the collector diode is much higher.
 Transistor Construction
 The transistor has two p-n junctions i.e. it is like two diodes. The junction between emitter and
base may be called emitter-base diode or simply the emitter diode. The junction between the
base and collector may be called collector-base diode or simply collector diode.

By imaging the analogy n-p-n transistor

Diode
of diode, transistor can
be construct like two
diodes that connected Diode
together.

It can be conclude that P-n-p transistor

the work of transistor is Diode
base on work of diode.
Diode
Transistor Schematic Symbol and Currents

 The arrow is always drawn

on the emitter

The arrow always point

toward the n-type

 The arrow indicates the

direction of the emitter
IC= the collector current
current:
IB= the base current
p-n-p:E B
IE= the emitter current
n-p-n:B E
 Transistor Symbol and Currents

n-p-n Tx p-n-p Tx
IE = IB + IC IE = IB + IC
BJTs – Practical Aspects and Packages

Heat sink
 Bipolar Transistor Operation
(Operation
(O region summary)
 Thus, BTT has two p-n junction and four types of bias.

Operation B-E Junction B-C Junction Applications

Region (Mode) (JE ) (JC )
Active Forward Bias Reverse Bias Linear
(Linear) Amplifier
Saturation Forward Bias Forward Bias Closed Switch

Cut-off Reverse Bias Reverse Bias Open Switch

Inverted Reverse Bias Forward Bias Not Used

(poor response)
Bipolar Transistor Operation
 Transistor Operation: The current flow in (p-n-p Tx)
 The basic operation will be described using the p-n-p transistor.
The operation of the p-n-p transistor is exactly the same of n-p-n,
if the roles played by the electron and hole are interchanged.
 One p-n junction of a transistor is forward-biased (JE), whereas
the other is reverse-biased (JC).

Forward-biased (Emitter) junction Reverse-biased (Collector) junction

 The current flow
in p-n-p transistor

 Both biasing potentials have been applied to a p-n-p transistor and

resulting majority and minority carrier flows indicated.
 Majority carriers holes (+) will diffuse across the forward-biased p-
n junction into the n-type material.
 A very small number of carriers (+) will through n-type material to
the base terminal. Resulting IB is typically in order of
microamperes.
 Continuous

 The large number of majority carriers will drift across the (JC) reverse-
biased junction into the p-type material connected to the negative
collector terminal.
 Majority carriers can cross the reverse-biased junction because the
injected majority carriers will appear as minority carriers in the n-type
material.
 Applying KCL to the transistor :
IE = I C + I B
 The comprises of two components – the majority and minority carriers
IC = IC(majority) + ICO (minority)
 ICO = ICBO, Leakage current between collector and base with open
emitter terminal is called leakage current.
 Continuous

IC
IE

IB

1. Injected ( h+ ) current from E to B

2. Injected (e-) across the forward-biased (E-B )junction – (current from B to E)
3. Supplied e- by the B contact for recombination with h+ (recombination current)
4. h+ reaching the reverse-biased C junction
5, 6. Thermally generated e- & h+ making up the reverse saturation current of the C
junction
Transistor action: The current flow in n-p-n Transistor
 BJTs – Basic configurations
 There are three terminals in a transistor emitter, base and collector.
 However, when a transistor is to be connected in a circuit, we
require four terminals; two for the input and two for the output.
 This difficulty is overcome by making one terminal of the
transistor
common to both input and output terminals.
 Accordingly; a transistor can be connected in a circuit in the
following three ways:
(i) Common base connection (CB)
(ii) Common emitter connection (CE)
(iii) Common collector connection (CC)
 Each circuit connection has specific advantages and disadvantages.
 Common-Base Configuration
 Note that the applied biasing (voltage sources) are such as to establish current in
the direction indicated for each branch.
 Current amplification factor (α): It is the ratio of output current to input
current. “The ratio of change in collector current to the change in emitter current
at constant collector-base voltage (VCB) is known as current amplification
factor”. i.e.

If only d.c. values are

considered, then –

In other words,
αIE part of emitter
current reaches the
collector terminal.
 Continuous
Expression for collector current: It follows, therefore, that total
collector current consists of:
1. The emitter current (majority) which reaches the collector terminal.
i.e. α IE.
2. The leakage current Ileakage. This current is due to the movement of
minority carriers across base-collector junction on account of it
being reverse biased. This is generally much smaller than αIE.

It is clear that if IE = 0
(i.e., emitter circuit is
open), a small Ileakage
current still flows in the
collector circuit. This
Ileakage is abbreviated as
ICBO, meaning collector-
base current with
emitter open.
 Continuous
I/P and O/p Characteristics of CB:
 Continuous
I/P and O/p Characteristics of CB: The curves (o/p characteristics)
clearly indicate that a first approximation to the relationship between
IE and IC in the active region is given by: IC ≈ IE
 Common-Emitter Configuration
 Almost amplifier design is using connection of CE due to the high gain for
current and voltage.
voltage
 Two set of characteristics are necessary to describe the behavior for CE,
input (base terminal) and output (collector terminal) parameters.
 The ratio of change in collector current (ΔIC) to the change in base current
(ΔIB) is known as current amplification factor.

i.e.
 Continuous
Expression for collector current: In common emitter circuit, IB is the
input current and IC is the output current.

From exp. (iii), it is apparent that if IB = 0 (i.e. base circuit is open), the
collector current will be the current to the emitter. This is abbreviated as
ICEO, meaning collector-emitter current with base open.
 Characteristics of Common Emitter Connection
(input-output characteristics)
The important characteristics of this circuit arrangement are the input
characteristics and output characteristics.
Input characteristic: It is the curve between base current IB and base-emitter
voltage VBE at constant collector-emitter voltage VCE.
Output characteristic: It is the curve between collector current IC and collector-
emitter voltage VCE at constant base current IB.
 Continuous
I/P and O/p Characteristics of CE:
 Continuous
I/P and O/p Characteristics of CE:
 Common-Collector Configuration
 The input characteristic of common-collector configuration is
similar with common-emitter. configuration.
 It is used primarily for impedance-matching purpose since it has
high input impedance and low output impedance.
 Also called emitter-follower (EF).
 The output voltage is obtained at emitter terminal.
The ratio of change in emitter current
(ΔIE) to the change in base current (ΔIB)
is known as current amplification
factor in common collector (CC)
arrangement i.e.
 Continuous
I/P and O/p Characteristics of CC:
 Relation between α and 
(simple relation exists between α and )
 Relation between γ and α
(simple relation exists between γ and α)
Comparison of Transistor Configurations
Point-Contact Transistor –
first transistor ever
made
“all the best”

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