Lecture 10a

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits

Dr. Muhammad Anis Chaudhary

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• for an npn BJT to operate in the active mode,

– the EBJ is forward biased and

– the CBJ is reverse biased i.e vCB ≥ 0

• but as a pn junction doesnot effectively becomes forward biased

– until the forward voltage across it, exceeds the cut-in voltage of approximately 0.5V

• the cut-in voltage of the EBJ is typically 0.5V,

– but as the CBJ area is 10 to 100 times the EBJ area

– the cut-in voltage of the CBJ will be lesser around typically 0.4V

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 1 of 12
BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Operation in the Saturation Mode

• figure shows plot of i = IS evBE /VT in blue and i = (100 × IS )evBC /VT in red

• from the figure cut-in voltage for CBJ is ≈ 0.4V

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• thus for the BJT to operate in the active mode,

– the EBJ is forward biased and

– the CBJ must be reverse biased i.e vCB ≥ 0

• but as a pn junction doesnot effectively becomes forward biased

– until the forward voltage across it, exceeds the cut-in voltage of approximately 0.4V (CBJ)

• =⇒ the active mode operation of an npn transistor still continues

– for negative vCB down to approximately −0.4V

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BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Operation in the Saturation Mode

• the active mode operation of an npn transistor still continues for negative vCB down to approxi-
mately −0.4V

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• thus for active mode operation for an npn BJT

– EBJ is forward-biased and CBJ is reverse-biased =⇒ vCB ≥ −0.4V

• beyong vCB = −0.4V i.e. for vBC > 0.4V , the CBJ begins to

– conduct sufficiently and thus the transistor leaves the active mode,
– and enters the saturation mode of operation, where iC decreases.

• to understand why iC decreases in saturation, first we need to take a look at the forward and
reverse biased pn juntions

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 3 of 12
BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• in case of active mode

– EBJ is forward biased, electrons flow from the emitter to the base
– and holes from the base to the emitter
– these electrons will diffuse across the thin base region and reach the depletion region,
– experiences the electric field across the space charge region and move into the collector

• in case of reverse active mode

– CBJ is forward biased, electrons flow from the collector to the base
– and holes from the base to the collector
– the electrons will diffuse across the thin base region and reach the
– depletion region of EBJ, these electrons experience the electric field and are swept into
the emitter region.

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• in case of saturation mode

– both EBJ and CBJ are forward biased

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 4 of 12
 • for EBJ

– electrons flow from the Emitter to the base and

– holes from the base to the emitter

• for CBJ

– electrons flow from the collector to the base and

– holes from the base to the collector

• As the Emitter is strongly doped relative to the collector, the minority carrier (electons) distri-
bution in the base can be given as

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• As CBJ is now forward-biased, the electron concentration at

– the collector edge is no longer zero rather it is a value proportional to evBC /VT
– =⇒ iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT
– where ISC is the scale current for CBJ

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BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Operation in the Saturation Mode

• iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT

• thus we can construct a model for the saturated npn transistor as

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• Note that here we augment the π − model for active region, with the forward-conducting CBJ
diode DC

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• Apply KCL at collector terminal

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 6 of 12
 – =⇒ ISC evBC /VT + iC = IS evBE /VT
– or iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT

• applying KCL at base terminal

– iB = IβS evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT

– now we have an additional hole current term because of the forward biased CBJ i.e.
ISC evBC /VT

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT and iB = IβS evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT

iC IS evBE /VT −ISC evBC /VT

• divide 1st eq by 2nd =⇒ iB = IS v /V
β
e BE T +ISC evBC /VT

iC
• this ratio, iB is called f orced β and is denoted as β f orced

iC
– (because iB can be set to any desired value lower than β by adjusting vBC )

• thus β f orced < β and β f orced can be reduced by increasing vBC i.e. by driving the transistor
deeper into saturation

• the collector-to-emitter voltage of a saturated transistor can be given as

– vCEsat = vC − vE = vCB − vEB

– vCEsat = −vBC + vBE ∵vCB = −vBC and vEB = −vBE
– vCEsat = vBE − vBC

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• vCEsat = vBE − vBC

• as vBE ≈ 0.7V in active region and vBC ≈ 0.4V at the start of saturation region

• =⇒ vCEsat = 0.7 − 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 7 of 12
 •

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• thus vCEsat = 0.7 − 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region

• ultimately the current iC is reduced to zero

• =⇒ iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT = 0 =⇒ IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 8 of 12
BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Operation in the Saturation Mode

• IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT

evBE /VT ISC ISC
• =⇒ = =⇒ e(vBE −vBC )/VT =
evBC /VT IS IS

• (vBE − vBC ) /VT = ln IISCS

• vBE − vBC = VT ln IISCS

• (vB − vE ) − (vB − vC ) = VT ln IISCS

• −vE + vC = VT ln IISCS =⇒ vCE = VT ln IISCS

ISC
• if CBJ area is 100 times the EBJ area =⇒ IS = 100
ISC
• for IS = 100 =⇒ vCE = VT ln 100 = 0.115V
ISC
• for IS = 50 =⇒ vCE = VT ln 50 = 0.098V

• =⇒ vCE ≈ 0.1V at the end of saturation mode of operation

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode

• vCEsat = vBE − vBC

• vCEsat = 0.7 − 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region (end of active region)

• and vCEsat ≈ 0.1V at the end of saturation mode of operation (when iC = 0)

• =⇒ vCEsat ≈ 0.1to 0.3V

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BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Operation in the Saturation Mode

• vCEsat ≈ 0.1to 0.3V

• thus at the edge of the saturation

– vCEsat = 0.3V

• while for a BJT deep into saturation has

– vCEsat = 0.2V

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Exercise 6.8

• Use Eq. (6.14) i.e. iC = IS evBE /VT −ISC evBC /VT to show that iC reaches zero at VCE = VT ln (ISC /IS ).

• Calculate VCE for a transistor whose CBJ has 100 times the area of EBJ.

Solution

• iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT = 0

• =⇒ IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT

evBE /VT ISC ISC
• =⇒ = =⇒ e(vBE −vBC )/VT =
evBC /VT IS IS

• (vBE − vBC ) /VT = ln IISCS

• vBE − vBC = VT ln IISCS

• (vB − vE ) − (vB − vC ) = VT ln IISCS

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Solution: Exercise 6.8

• (vB − vE ) − (vB − vC ) = VT ln IISCS

• vB − vE − vB + vC = VT ln IISCS

• −vE + vC = VT ln IISCS

• =⇒ vCE = VT ln IISCS

• As CBJ area is 100 times the EBJ area =⇒ ISC = 100 × IS

ISC
• =⇒ IS = 100 =⇒ vCE = VT ln 100 = 0.11513V = 115.13mV

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 10 of 12
BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Exercise 6.9

• Use Eqs. (6.14), (6.15), and (6.16) to show that a BJT operating in saturation with VCE = VCEsat
has a forced β given by
eVCEsat /VT − IISCS
β f orced = β
eVCEsat /VT + βIISSC

• Fing β f orced for β = 100, ISC /IS = 100, and VCEsat = 0.2V

Solution

• eq6.14 =⇒ iC = IS evBE /VT − ISC evBC /VT

• eq6.15 =⇒ iB = IβS evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT

iC
• Eq6.16 =⇒ β f orced = iB saturation

iC IS evBE /VT −ISC evBC /VT

• β f orced = iB saturation = IS v /V
β
e BE T +ISC evBC /VT

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Solution: Exercise 6.9
IS evBE /VT −ISC evBC /VT
• β f orced = IS v /V
β
e BE T +ISC evBC /VT
 
IS evBE /VT −ISC evBC /VT
• β f orced = β
IS evBE /VT +β ISC evBC /VT

• divide numerator and denominator by evBC /VT

vBE /VT
!
IS ev −ISC
e BC /VT
• β f orced = β v /V
IS evBE /VT +β ISC
e BC T

vBE −vBC
!
IS e VT −ISC
• β f orced = β vBE −vBC
IS e VT +β ISC

• As vBE − vBC = (vB − vE ) − (vB − vC ) = vB − vE − vB + vC = −vE + vC = vC − vE = vCE

v
!
CE
IS e VT −I
SC
• =⇒ β f orced = β vCE
V
IS e T +β ISC

EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits, Dr. M. Anis Ch, Lecture 10a Page 11 of 12
BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation
Solution: Exercise 6.9
vCE
!
IS e VT −ISC
• β f orced = β vCE
IS e VT +β ISC

• divide numerator and denominator by IS

 v 
CE ISC
e VT − IS
• =⇒ β f orced =β vCE 
VT β ISC
e + IS

• when β = 100, ISC /IS = 100, and VCEsat = 0.2V

 
e0.2/25e−3 −100
• β f orced = 100 e0.2/25e−3 +(100)(100)
= 22.194

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