Bipolar Junction Transistors

(BJT)
Presented by
D.Satishkumar
Asst. Professor,
Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Introduction
• A transistor is a device that can be used as
either an amplifier or a switch. Transistor is
current controlling device.

Transistors can be either

npn or pnp type.
 Introduction
• The three layers of BJT are called Emitter, Base and Collector
• Base is very thin compared to the other two layers
• Base is lightly doped. Emitter is heavily doped. Collector is moderately
doped
• NPN – Emitter and Collector are made of N-type semiconductors; Base is
P-type
• PNP – Emitter and Collector are P-type, Base is N-type
• Both types (NPN and PNP) are extensively used, either separately or in
the same circuit
• BJT has two junctions – Emitter-Base (EB) Junction
and Collector-Base (CB) Junction
• The device is called “bipolar junction transistor” because current is due
to motion of two types of charge carriers – free electrons & holes
• Transistor Analogous to two diodes connected back-to-back: EB diode
and CB diode
Transistor Structure
• In diodes there is one p-n junction.
• In Bipolar junction transistors (BJT), there are three
layers and two p-n junctions.

Note: Arrow Direction from P to N ( Like Diode)

Figure showing different transistor packages
 Transistor Operation
• Operation of NPN transistor is discussed here

• For normal operation (amplifier application)

• – EB junction should be forward biased
• – CB junction should be reverse biased

• Depletion width at EB junction is narrow (forward biased)

• Depletion width at CB junction is wide (reverse biased)
Transistor- Normal Operation
• When EB junction is forward biased, free electrons from
emitter region drift towards base region
• Some free electrons combine with holes in the base to
form small base current
• Inside the base region (p-type), free electrons are
minority carriers. So most of the free electrons are swept
away into the collector region due to reverse biased CB
junction
• Three currents can be identified in BJT
1. Emitter current;
2. Base current;
3. Collector current
Current directions in NPN and PNP transistors:

For both varieties: ------------(1)

 • collector current has two components:
-------------(2)

αdc is the fraction of charge carriers emitted from emitter, that enter into the
collector region
ICBO is the reverse saturation current in CB diode

--------------(3)

As approximation, we can neglect ICBO in eq( 2) & (3)

compared to IE and IC
Hence approximate equations are:

The parameter αdc is called common-base dc current gain

Value of αdc is around 0.99

We know

Substituting In above eq, we get

------------ (4)

where &
 Since value of αdc is around 0.99, ICEO >> ICBO

Hence approximation of eq(4) gives:

Parameter βdc is called common emitter dc current gain

Values of αdc and βdc vary from transistor to transistor. Both

αdc and βdc are sensitive to temperature changes
 Transistor Configurations
• BJT has three terminals
• For two-port applications, one of the BJT terminals needs
to be made common between input and output

Accordingly three configurations exist:

– Common Base (CB) configuration
– Common Emitter (CE) configuration
– Common Collector (CC) configuration
Common Base ( CB ) configuration

(Resistors are not shown here

for simplicity)

Base is common between input and output

– Input voltage: VEB Input current: IE
– Output voltage: VCB Output current: IC
 CB Input characteristics

– A plot of IE versus VEB for

various values of VCB
– It is similar to forward biased
diode characteristics
– As VCB is increased, IE increases
only slightly
– Note that second letter in the
suffix is B (for base)
 Input resistance ri

Voltage amplification factor AV

Note: Both can be determined from the CB input characteristics

 CB Output characteristics

CB Output characteristics
– A plot of IC versus VCB for
various values of IE
– Three regions are identified:
Active,
Cutoff,
Saturation
Active region:
• E-B junction forward biased
• C-B junction reverse biased
• IC is positive, VCB is positive
• IC increases with IE

Cut off Region:

• When IE = 0, IC = ICBO
• ICBO is collector to base current with emitter open
• – Below this line we have cut-off region
• – Here both junctions are reverse biased

Saturation Region:
• Region to the left of y-axis (VCB negative)
• Here both junctions are forward biased
• IC decreases exponentially, and eventually changes direction
• Output resistance ro

•Current amplification factor AI or αac

Note: Both can be measured from output characteristics

Common Emitter configuration

(Resistors are omitted for simplicity)

Emitter is common between input and output

– Input voltage: VBE ; Input current: IB
– Output voltage: VCE; Output current: IC
CE input characteristics

• Plot of IB versus VBE for

various values of VCE
• Similar to diode
characteristics
• As VCE is increased, IB
decreases only slightly
• Note that second suffix is E
(for emitter)
CE output characteristics

– A plot of IC versus VCE

for various values of IB
– Three regions
identified:
Active,
Cut-off,
Saturation
– Active region:
• Linear region in the output characteristics
• E-B junction forward biased
• C-B junction reverse biased
• IC increases with IB
– Cut off region:
Region below IB=0 line (or IC=ICEO)
– Saturation Region:
Region to the left of the vertical line
VCE=VCE(sat)=0.3V ( for Silicon)
•Input resistance ri •Output resistance ro

•Voltage gain AV •Current gain AI or βac

Note: All these parameters can be determined from CE characteristics

Experimental setup for determining CE characteristics
Transistor Biasing
• Applying external dc voltages to ensure that transistor
operates in the desired region

• Which is the desired region?

– For amplifier application, transistor should operate in
active region
– For switch application, it should operate in cut-off and
sat.
 Quiescent point (Q-point)
• The point we get by plotting the dc values of IC , IB
and VCE (when ac input is zero) on the transistor
characteristics

Q-point is in the middle

of active region.
Types of biasing:
• Fixed bias
• Self bias

1. Fixed bias:

– Equations to consider are:

• Pros:
1) Simple circuit
2) Uses very few resistors

• Cons:
1. Q-point is unstable
• If temperature increases, then β increases, and
hence ICQ and VCEQ vary (effectively Q-point shifts)
• If the transistor is replaced with another
transistor having different β value, then also Q-
point shifts
Load Line Characteristics: Variation in load line with
circuit parameters VCC, RC and RB
• Load Line
– We have:

– This is an equation of straight line with points VCC/RC and

VCC lying on y-axis and x-axis respectively
– This line is called “Load line” because it depends on
resistor RC considered as “Load” and VCC
– Intersection of load line and transistor characteristic curve
is the Q-point or operating point
– This point is the common solution for characteristics and
load line equation
 Voltage divider bias or Self bias
– Resistor RE connected between emitter
and ground
– Voltage-divider resistors R1 & R2
replace RB
– Circuit can be analyzed in two
methods:
• Exact method (using Thevenin’s
theorem)
• Approximation method
(neglecting base current)
Exact method:

– Input side of self-bias (Fig. a) transformed into Thevenin’s equivalent

circuit (Fig. b) where, RTH is the resistance looking into the terminals A &
B (Fig. c) and VTH is given by:
Self-bias circuit redrawn with input side replaced by
Thevenin’s equivalent :

Since β >> 1 and (β+1)RE >> RTH

Since IC is almost independent of β, Q-point is stable

Approximate analysis:
– Carried out only if βRE ≥ 10R2

IB is negligible compared to I1 and I2

THANK YOU