HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF VOCATIONAL

EDUCATION

Electronic Devices
(EEE 3107)

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Bipolar Junction
Transistor
(BJT)

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 Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

Main feature of transistor

• A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify
and switch electronic signals and electrical power.

Construction of transistor
• It is composed of semiconductor material with three
terminals for connection to an external circuit.

What is Bipolar Junction Transistor?

• Bipolar means two-polarities
• Bipolar transistors are so named because their
operation involves both electrons and holes.

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 Structure of Bipolar Junction Transistor
• Two types: NPN type and PNP type
• Three terminals: Emitter (E), base (B) & collector (C)
• Two junctions: Base-emitter (BE) junction & base-
collector (BC) junction

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Transistor Packages

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Schematic symbols

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Transistor Characteristics

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 Basic Transistor Operation

Biasing
– BE junction is forward-biased
– BC junction is reverse-biased.

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 Transistor Configurations
• Three types of transistor configurations
 Common emitter (CE), common collector (CC), common base
(CB). Only CE type is discussed in below.
• Common emitter (CE) configuration:
 The emitter is a transistor is grounded. It may be directly
connected to ground or via a capacitor in ac circuit.
 Emitter is common to both input and output.

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 Transistor Currents
Transistor currents
emitter current = collector current + base current
I E  IC  I B

Directions of current flow for npn and pnp

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 Transistor Currents
The three currents associated with a BJT transistor are base
current IB, collector current IC and emitter current IE.
• IE = IC + IB (IB is very small compared to IC and IE)

The two DC current gains of transistor, beta DC and alpha DC.
(Or simply  and ).
•  DC = IC/IB
•  DC = IC/IE
•  DC =  DC / (1   DC )
( DC is normally very large > 20 - 1000)
•  DC =  DC / (1 +  DC )
( DC is always < 1)
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 Example

Question
Given that IB=50 μA and IC = 3.65mA.
(a) Determine the dc current gain β
(b) Find the emitter current IE
(c) Determine the dc current gain 

Solution
I C 3.65mA
    73
IB 50 A
I E  I C  I B  3.65mA  50 A  3.70mA
I C 3.65mA
   0.986
I E 3.70mA
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 Current & Voltage Analysis (1)
Transistor Input
• The BE junction is a forward-biased pn junction with
VBE  0.7V
Base input voltage VBB = voltage
drop across RB + voltage drop
across BE terminals VBE :
VBB  I B RB  VBE
or
VBB  VBE
IB 
RB

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 Current & Voltage Analysis (1)
Transistor Output
(a) Supply voltage VCC = voltage drop across RC,
(IC*RC )+ voltage drop across the transistor
CE terminals, (VCE).
VCC = IC*RC + VCE
or
VCE = VCC - IC*RC
or
IC = (VCC - VCE ) / RC
(b) Voltage drop across CB terminals VCB = Voltage
drop across CB terminals VCE + Voltage drop across CB
terminals VBE
VCB = VCE - VBE
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 Example
Question
Determine IB, IC, IE, VCE and VCB. Given that  = 150.
Given that VBE = 0.7V
VCB + +
Solution -
VCE
Assume VBE = 0.7V + - -
(i) VBB = IB * RB + VBE VBE

IB = (VBB  VBE) / RB
= (5  0.7) / 10k
= 430A
(ii) IC = IB = (150)(430A) (iv) VCE = VCC  ICRC
= 10  (64.5mA)
= 64.5mA (100)
(iii) IE = IC + IB = 3.55V
(v) VCB = VCE  VBE
= 64.5mA + 430A
= 3.55  0.7 15
= 64.9mA = 2.85V
 V-I Characteristic Curve
Characteristic Curve of a transistor at different base current I B
(The 4 operating regions)
IC IB

Cutoff Region
(IC = 0A)

VCE
Saturation Active Region Breakdown Region
Region (β=IC/IB)

Saturation Voltage
Breakdown Voltage VBR
VCE(sat) ≈ 0.2V 16
 V-I Characteristic Curve

The 4 operating regions

• Active region
• BC junction is reverse-biased
• Collector current obeys the linear relationship with base
current, IC = βIB
• Saturation region
• both junctions (BE, BC) are forward-biased
• Collector current does not obey the linear relationship with
base current. (IC ≠ βIB)
• Cutoff region
• IB=0A, IC=0A
• Breakdown region
• BC junction goes into breakdown
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 Cutoff, Active and Saturation Regions
IB = (VBB  VBE) / RB
VCE = VCC  ICRC = VCC  IB*RC

Cutoff Region (IC = 0A)

• If IB = 0A, then IC = 0A,
VCE = VCC  IC*RC = VCC  IB*RC
= VCC = 10V
Active region (IB  IC)
• When IB increases, IC also increases, voltage drop across RC increases, VCE
decreases.

Saturation Region (VCE reaches the lowest value of around 0.2V)

• When VCE reaches its saturation value, VCE(sat), IC can increases no further even
Vwith increases
 0.2V in IB. IC becomes saturated IC(sat).
CE(sat)

VCC - VCE(sat)
I C(sat)  18
RC
Transistor Applications

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 Transistor Operating in Active Region
Question
A transistor circuit operates in the
Active Region. Given that the dc
current gain β = 100, VBE=0.7V,
(a) Find IB, IC , voltage across RC (VRC)
and VCE
(b) Justify the operating region of
the transistor.
Solution
(a) VBB  VBE 5V  0.7V
IB    43uA
RB 100k
I C   I B  100 * 43uA  4.3mA
VRC  I C RC  4.3mA *1k  4.3V
VCE  VCC  VRC  12V  4.3V  7.7V

(b) Since VCE (7.7V) is in between VCC (12V) and VCE(sat)(0.2V),

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the transistor operates in Active Region
Transistor Operating in Cutoff and Saturation Region

Simple Transistor Switch

(a) Open Switch (Cutoff Region)

• When IB = 0A, then IC = βIB = 0A
• Since there is no collector current,
the transistor becomes an open
switch.

(b) Closed Switch (Saturation Region)

• When IB is very large IC and VCE
saturate (IC(sat), VCE(sat)), the transistor
becomes a closed switch.

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 Example
Question
Determine whether or not the transistor in the the figure is in saturation
(a) β = 50 ; (b) β = 30
(Assume VCE(sat) = 0.2V) IC

Solution
IC(sat) = (VCC  VCE(sat)) / RC
IB
= (10  0.2) / 1k = 9.8mA
IB = (VBB  VBE) / RB
= (3  0.7) / 10k = 0.23mA
(a) IC = IB = (50)(0.23) = 11.5mA
Since IB > IC(sat)  the transistor is saturated
(b) IC = IB = (30)(0.23) = 6.9mA
Since IB < IC(sat)  the transistor is not
saturated.
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 Example
Question
A BJT with VBB = 3V is designed to provide 20mA to a lamp. The
transistor current gain β is 100. Find a value for RB .
Solution
• The collector current is 20mA, the required base current is therefore:
 = Ic / Ib
Ib = Ic / (min) = 20/100= 0.2mA

• Vin is 3V , VBE is 0.7V

voltage drop across the resistor RB = 3V – 0.7V = 2.3V, hence
RB = 2.3V / 0.2mA = 11.5 kΩ
 Checking for Saturation
• When a transistor operates in Active Region, ( IC  IB)
I C  I B
• When a transistor operates in Saturation Region, ( I C  I B )
I C  I C (sat )
(Typical value of VCE(sat) = 0.2V )

VCC  VCE ( sat) VCC  0.2

I C ( sat)  
RC RC
When IC increases from 0A and keep increasing, the transistor first
enters the Active region and finally enters the saturation region)
Steps for checking saturation
(i) Assume linear operation, IC = βIB
(ii)Assume saturation, IC=IC(sat)
– If βIB > IC(sat) , transistor is saturated
– If βIB < IC(sat) , transistor is not saturated

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Graphical Method

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 Load line and Operating (Q) points
Use of Load Line Graph
• The dc operation of the transistor
amplifier can be solved by graphical
method.
• This is a straight line drawn on the
characteristic curves.
Construction of Load Line Graph
• The characteristic curves are used in
conjunction with the equation
VCE = VCC - ICRC
• The load line is defined by two points: Load Line Graph
- IC(sat) = VCC / RC
(for drawing load line, the VCE(sat) of 0.2V is
ignored)
- VCE(cutoff) = VCC
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 IC (mA) Load line

12 80A
IC(sat) 60A
8
40A
4 20A

0 4 8 12 18 V (V)
CE
VCE(cutoff)
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• IC(sat) is evaluated at VCE = 0V

VCE  VCC  I C RC
VCC 12
I C ( sat )    12mA
RC 1000
• VCE(cutoff) is evaluated at IC = 0A

VCE  VCC  12V

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 Operating Points
Saturation
IC (mA)
Q4
12 80A

Q3 Q points
60A
8
Q2
6 40A
Q1
4 20A
Q0

0 4 5 8 12 18
VCE (V)
Cut off

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 Operating Points

• Any points along the load line are the operating points (Q)
of the transistor circuit.
• If the base current is reduced to 0, the operating point
shifts to the cutoff region (Q0).
• Increases the base current moves the Q points (Q1 , Q2 , Q3
… ) up along the load line.
• At sufficient high base current the operating point is
shifted to the saturation region (Q4).
• The Q points show the relationship of IB, IC and VCE.
– e.g. at Q2, IB = 40uA, IC = 6mA, VCE = 5V.

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 Example

Question
(a) Determine the Q-point for the circuit shown below
and draw the dc load line.
(b) Find the maximum peak variation of base current
for linear operation. Assume =200
RC
330
RB

+
47k VCC
VBB  20V

+
10V 

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 Solution

The Q-point is defined by the values of IC and VCE.

IB = (VBB  VBE) / RB =(10  0.7)/47k = 198 μA

IC = IB = (200)(198 μA) = 39.6mA RC

330
RB

+
47k VCC
VCE = VCC  ICRC= 20- 13.07 = 6.93V VBB  20V

+
10V 

the Q-point is at IC = 39.6 mA and VCE=6.93V

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 IC(mA)
60.6

39.6 Q

VCE(V)
6.93 20

VCE (cutoff) = Vcc = 20V ---- when Ic = 0A

IC(sat) = VCC /RC= 20/330 = 60.6 mA

The maximum peak variation of the base current as follows:

IB(peak) = IC(peak) /  = (60.6-39.6)mA / 200 = 21mA/200 = 105 μA
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 Bipolar Power Transistor
• Bipolar transistors are used as electronic switches
and NPN transistors are most commonly used.
• In switching operation the transistor is either in the
cutoff region or the saturation region.
• Power transistor has lower current gain than small
signal transistor. The typical current gain of a power
bipolar transistor is in the range of 20 to 50.

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 Bipolar Power Transistor
Darlington configuration
Two transistors are connected is often used to reduce the
demand on base current.
If the DC current gains are β1 and β2 for TR1 and TR2
respectively.
IB1 IC1
IC2
IE1
TR1
TR2
IB2

= (β1+1)
The overall current gain
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β2 (β1+1)
 Bipolar Power Transistor
Example: Two BJT transistors are connected in Darlington configuration. Given
that transistor TR1 has dc current gain β1 of 100 and transistor TR2 has dc current
gain β2 of 20. If a collector current IC2 of 4A is required, calculate:
(a) the base current IB2; and
(b) The base current IB1.

Solution:
(a) IC 2 4
I B2    200mA
2 20

(b) With TR1 the required IB1

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 Transistor Data Sheet

A partial data sheet for the Transistor 2N3904 is shown in

the following slides

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Transistor Data Sheet

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 Transistor Data Sheet
• The maximum collector-emitter voltage VCEO is 40V.
The CEO subscript indicates that the voltage is measured from collector
(C) to emitter (E) with the base (B) open.
• The maximum collector-base voltage VCBO is 60V.
The CBO subscript indicates that the voltage is measured from collector
(C) to base (B) with the emitter (E) open.
• The maximum emitter-base voltage VEBO is 6V.
The EBO subscript indicates that the voltage is measured from emitter
(E) to base (B) with the collector (C) open.
• The maximum continuous collector current IC is 200mA.
(Note: all the above parameters are measured at ambient temperature of
25oC.)

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Transistor Data Sheet

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 Transistor Data Sheet

• Another symbol for dc current gain ß is hFE

• The minimum ß is 30 and maximum ß is 300 measured at IC=100mA
and VCE = 1V.
• The VCE(sat) of 0.2V is measured at Ic=10mA and IB = 1mA.
• VBE(sat) is the base-emitter saturation voltage has a minimum and
maximum values of 0.65V and 0.85V at IC=10mA and IB=1mA.

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END

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