Lecture #15

OUTLINE The Bipolar Junction Transistor

Fundamentals Ideal Transistor Analysis

Reading: Chapter 10, 11.1

Spring 2003 EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 1

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

Over the past 3 decades, the higher layout density and low-power advantage of CMOS technology has eroded away the BJTs dominance in integrated-circuit products.
(higher circuit density better system performance)

BJTs are still preferred in some digital-circuit and analog-circuit applications because of their high speed and superior gain.
faster circuit speed larger power dissipation limits integration level to ~104 circuits/chip

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 2

Introduction
The BJT is a 3-terminal device
2 types: PNP and NPN

VEB = VE VB VCB = VC VB VEC = VE VC = VEB - VCB

VBE = VB VE VBC = VB VC VCE = VC VE = VCB - VEB

The convention used in the textbook does not follow IEEE convention (currents defined as positive flowing into a terminal) Spring 2003 EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 3 We will follow the convention used in the textbook

Charge Transport in a BJT

Consider a reverse-biased pn junction:
Reverse saturation current depends on rate of minority-carrier generation near the junction can increase reverse current by increasing rate of minority-carrier generation: Optical excitation of carriers

Electrical injection of minority carriers into the neighborhood of the junction

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 4

PNP BJT Operation (Qualitative)

Active Bias: VEB > 0 (forward bias), VCB < 0 (reverse bias)
ICn Emitter Base Collector

ICp

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EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 5

dc

IC IB

BJT Design
Important features of a good transistor:
Injected minority carriers do not recombine in the neutral base region

Emitter current is comprised almost entirely of carriers injected into the base (rather than carriers injected into the emitter

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 6

Base Current Components

The base current consists of majority carriers supplied for
1. 2. 3. 4. Recombination of injected minority carriers in the base Injection of carriers into the emitter Reverse saturation current in collector junction
Reduces | IB |

Recombination in the base-emitter depletion region

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 7

Circuit Configurations

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 8

Modes of Operation
Common-emitter output characteristics (IC vs. VCE)

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 9

BJT Electrostatics
Under normal operating conditions, the BJT may be viewed electrostatically as two independent pn junctions

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 10

BJT Performance Parameters (PNP)

Emitter Efficiency:

Base Transport Factor:

I Ep I Ep + I En

T =

I Cp I Ep

Decrease (5) relative to (1+2) to increase efficiency

Spring 2003

Decrease (1) relative to (2) to increase transport factor

Common-Base d.c. Current Gain:

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 11

dc T

Collector Current (PNP)

The collector current is comprised of
Holes injected from emitter, which do not recombine in the base (2) Reverse saturation current of collector junction (3)

I C = dc I E + I CB 0
where ICB0 is the collector current which flows when IE = 0

I C = dc (I C + I B ) + I CB 0 IC =

dc I I B + CB 0 1 dc 1 dc

= I B + I CE 0
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Common-Emitter d.c. Current Gain:

dc = 1
dc dc

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 12

Notation (PNP BJT)

NE = NAE DE = DN E = n LE = LN nE0 = np0 = ni2/NE

NB = NDB DB = DP B = p LB = LP pB0 = pn0 = ni2/NB

NC = NAC DC = DN C = n LC = L N nC0 = np0 = ni2/NC

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 13

Ideal Transistor Analysis

Solve the minority-carrier diffusion equation in each quasi-neutral region to obtain excess minority-carrier profiles
different set of boundary conditions for each region

Evaluate minority-carrier diffusion currents at edges of depletion regions

I En = qADE ddxn"E x "= 0

I Ep = qADB dpB dx I Cp = qADB dpB dx

x =0

I Cn = qADC dn'C dx

x '= 0

x =W

Add hole & electron components together

terminal currents

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EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 14

Emitter Region Formulation

Diffusion equation:

0 = DE

d 2 n E dx "2

nEE

Boundary Conditions:

nE ( x" ) = 0 nE ( x" = 0) = nE 0 (e qVEB / kT 1)

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 15

Base Region Formulation

Diffusion equation:

0 = DB

d 2 p B dx 2

pBB

Boundary Conditions:

pB (0) = pB 0 (e qVEB / kT 1) pB (W ) = pB 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 16

Collector Region Formulation

Diffusion equation:

0 = DC

d 2 nC dx '2

nCC

Boundary Conditions:

nC ( x' ) = 0 nC ( x' = 0) = nC 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 17

Current Formulation
I En = qADE ddxn"E x "= 0

I Ep = qADB dpB dx
I Cp = qADB dpB dx

x =0

x =W

I Cn = qADC dn'C dx

x '= 0

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EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 18

Emitter Region Solution

The solution of 0 = DE
d 2 n E dx "2

nEE is:

nE ( x" ) = A1e x"/ LE + A2 e x"/ LE

From the boundary conditions: nE ( x" ) = 0

nE ( x" = 0) = nE 0 (e qVEB / kT 1)
qV / kT x "/ LE we have: nE ( x" ) = nE 0 (e EB 1)e

and:

E I En = qA DE nE 0 (e qVEB / kT 1) L

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EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 19

Collector Region Solution

The solution of 0 = DC
d 2 nC dx '
2

nCC is:

nC ( x' ) = A1e x '/ LC + A2 e x '/ LC

From the boundary conditions: nC ( x' ) = 0

nC ( x' = 0) = nC 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)
qV / kT x '/ L we have: nC ( x' ) = nC 0 (e CB 1)e C

and:
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C I Cn = qA DC nC 0 (e qVCB / kT 1) L

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 20

Base Region Solution

The solution of

0 = DB

d 2 n B dx 2

pBB is:

p B ( x) = A1e x / LB + A2 e x / LB
qV / kT From the boundary conditions: pB (0) = pB 0 (e EB 1)

p B (W ) = p B 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)

we have:

pB ( x ) = pB 0 ( e qVEB / kT 1) + pB 0 ( e qVCB / kT 1)
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e ( W x ) / LB e ( W x ) / LB eW / LB e W / LB

e x / LB e x / L B eW / LB e W / LB

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 21

Now, we know sinh = Therefore, we can write:

( )

e e 2

pB ( x) = pB 0 (e qVEB / kT 1) + pB 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)
as

e ( W x ) / LB e ( W x ) / LB eW / LB e W / LB

e x / LB e x / LB eW / LB e W / LB

pB ( x) = p B 0 (e + p B 0 (e
qVCB / kT

qVEB / kT

sinh [ x LB ] 1) sinh (W LB )

sinh [(W x ) LB ] 1) sinh (W LB )

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 22

 We know cosh ( ) = Therefore, we have:

B I Ep = qA DB pB 0 L

e + e 2

cosh(W / LB ) sinh(W / LB )

1 (e qVEB / kT 1) sinh(W / LB ) e qVCB / kT 1

)]

and:
B I Cp = qA DB pB 0 L

1 sinh(W / LB )

(e qVEB / kT 1) sinh(W / LBB )) e qVCB / kT 1

cosh(W / L

)]

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 23

Terminal Currents
We know:
E I En = qA DE nE 0 (e qVEB / kT 1) L

B I Ep = qA DB pB 0 L B I Cp = qA DB L

[ p [
DB LB

cosh(W / L B ) sinh(W / L B )

1 (e qVEB / kT 1) sinh(W / LB ) e qVCB / kT 1

1 B 0 sinh(W / LB )

(e qVEB / kT 1) sinh(W / LBB ))

cosh(W / L

( (e

qVCB / kT

)] 1)]
)]
)]

C I Cn = qA DC nC 0 (e qVCB / kT 1) L

Therefore:
I E = qA
IC

[( = qA[(

DE LE
DB LB

nE 0 +

pB 0

cosh(W / L B ) sinh(W / L B )

)(e

qV EB / kT

1)

DB LB
DB LB

1 pB 0 sinh(W / LB ) e qVCB / kT 1

)(

1 pB 0 sinh(W / LB ) (e qVEB / kT 1)

DC LC

nC 0 +

pB 0

cosh(W / L B ) sinh(W / L B )

)(e

qVCB / kT

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 24

Simplification
In real BJTs, we make W << LB for high gain. Then, since sinh ( ) for << 1

cosh ( ) 1 + 2 for << 1

2

we have:
x pB ( x) pB 0 (e qVEB / kT 1)(1 W ) x + p B 0 (e qVCB / kT 1)(W )

Spring 2003

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 25

Performance Parameters (Active Mode) 1 Assumptions: = n D N W 1+ n D N L emitter junction forward

iE 2 iB 2 E B B E E

T = dc = dc =
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1 1+ 1 2 1+

( )

W 2 LB

biased, collector junction reverse biased W << LB

ni E 2 D N W E B

ni B 2 DB N E LE

+1 2

( )

W 2 LB

ni E 2 D N W E B

ni B 2 DB N E LE

+1 2

( )

W 2 LB

EE130 Lecture 15, Slide 26