NZCEE

3105
Transistors
 The Frist Transistor

On 23 December
1947, John
Bardeen and
Walter Brattain
built the first
working transistor
by accident while
trying to work out
how a diode
operated.
 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students

should be able to :
Sketch and explain the operation of
transistor circuits
Describe the function of a transistor in
various practical applications
 Semiconductors Recap

Semiconductors are made more N-type

Donor impurity
contributes free
useful by doping them with Si electrons

impurities.
Si Sb Si
N-type semiconductors have
additional electrons available to Si
conduct. Sb – Antimony atom
Si – Silicon atom

P-type semiconductors have a

structure where there are absences P-type
Acceptor impurity
Si creates a hole
of electrons in the bons between
atoms.
Si B Si

These holes also help with

conduction but are effectively Si

positively charged. B – Boron atom

The Bipolar Junction Transistor
A bipolar junction transistor consists of three
regions of doped semiconductors.

A small current in the center or base region

can be used to control a larger current
flowing between the end regions (emitter
and collector).

The device can be characterized as a

current amplifier, having many applications
for amplification and switching
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

A BJT is made from three layers NPN Transistor

of a semiconductor material.
Collector
C

An NPN transistor Base B

is made from a thin

p-type layer between two n- E
type layers. Emitter

A PNP transistor has the opposite PNP Transistor

configuration. Collector
C

The current flowing Base B

into or out of the base controls a
larger current flowing between the
collector and emitter. Emitter
E
The Bipolar Junction Transistor
Collector

NPN (Never Points iN)

Base

Emitter

Collector

Base
PNP

Emitter
Determining Transistor Configuration
Determining Transistor Configuration

+ on base > other two legs give a reading

Transistor is a NPN
Higher of the two readings is the Emitter
- on base > other two legs give a reading
Transistor is a PNP
Higher of the two readings is the Emitter
 Determining Transistor Operation

An NPN transistor turns on when

its base is approx 0.6V
more positive than the emitter
and the collector is more positive
than the emitter.

A PNP transistor turns on when

its base is approx 0.6V
more negative than the emitter
and the collector is more negative
than the emitter.
 Transistor Operation
A transistor in a circuit will be in one of three conditions:

1.Cut off (no collector current), useful for switch

operation

2.In saturation (collector a few tenths of a volt above

emitter), large current useful for "switch on" applications

3.In the active region (some collector current, base more

than a few tenths of a volt above the emitter), useful for
amplifier applications
Transistor Current

Ie = Ic + Ib
Ie = 100%
Ib ≅ 5%
Ic ≅ 95%
Ie
Ic/Ib > β (gain
aka hfe or hfe)
Testing Gain with a DMM
 Transistor as a switch (NPN)

“ Cut-off ”

• The input and Base are grounded ( 0v )

• Base-Emitter voltage VBE < 0.7v
• Base-Emitter junction is reverse biased
• Base-Collector junction is reverse biased
• Transistor is “fully-OFF” ( Cut-off region )
• No Collector current flows ( IC = 0 )
• VOUT = VCE = VCC = ”1″
• Transistor operates as an “open switch”
 Transistor as a switch (NPN)

“ Saturation ”

• Theinput and Base are connected to VCC

• Base-Emitter voltage VBE > 0.7v
• Base-Emitter junction is forward biased
• Base-Collector junction is forward biased
• Transistor is “fully-ON” ( saturation region )
• Max Collector current flows ( IC = Vcc/RL )
• VCE = 0 ( ideal saturation )
• VOUT = VCE = ”0″
• Transistor operates as a “closed switch”
 Transistor as a Switch
Construct this circuit on a

Connect to Supply + to turn on

Breadboard to confirm the
operation of a transistor as a
+ switch.
12V
_ What would the circuit need to
look like if the transistor was a
PNP?

Reconfigure the circuit with a

PNP transistor.
 Transistor as a Switch
Applications:
Light Operated Switch
Dark Operated Switch
Voltage Level Switch
Touch Switch
Water Level Switch
Darlington Configuration
 Construct a
Discrete Darlington Pair
 Sziklai Pair
The Sziklai pair may also be known as the compound pair or complementary pair.

Has the advantage of only a single

base emitter drop between the
overall base and emitter of the
compound transistor.

Like the Darlington, it is wise to

include a bypass resistor.
 Reference
http://www.tpub.com/content/neets/14179/css/14179_104.h
tm
http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/trans.html
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/transistors/applications-
ii-amplifiers
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/semiconductors/c
hpt-2/bipolar-junction-transistors/
http://www.learnabout-
electronics.org/Amplifiers/amplifiers12.php
http://en.f-alpha.net/electronics/basic-circuits/darlington-
pair/