BIPOLAR JUNCTION

TRANSISTORS

BJT STRUCTURE
Basic structure of the bipolar junction transistor (BJT) determines its
operating characteristics.
Constructed with 3 doped semiconductor regions called emitter, base,
and collector, which separated by two pn junctions.
2 types of BJT;
(1)npn: Two n regions separated by a p region
(2)pnp: Two p regions separated by an n region.
BIPOLAR:
refers to the use
of both holes &
electrons as
current carriers
in the transistor
structure.

Base-emitter junction: the pn junction joining the base region & the
emitter region.
Base-collector junction: the pn junction joining the base region & the
collector region.
A wire lead connects to each of the 3 regions. These leads labeled as;
E: emitter
B: base
C: collector

BASE REGION: lightly doped, & very thin

EMITTER REGION: heavily doped
COLLECTOR REGION: moderately doped

Standard BJT Symbols

BASIC BJT OPERATION

For a BJT to operate properly as an amplifier, the two pn junctions
must be correctly biased with external dc voltages.
Figure: shows a bias arrangement for npn BJTs for operation as an
amplifier.
In both cases, BE junction is forward-biased & the BC junction is
reverse-biased. called forward-reverse bias.
Look at this one circuit as two separate
circuits, the base-emitter(left side) circuit and
the collector-emitter(right side) circuit. Note
that the emitter leg serves as a conductor for
both circuits. The amount of current flow in
the base-emitter circuit controls the amount of
current that flows in the collector circuit.
Small changes in base-emitter current
yields a large change in collector-current.

The heavily doped n-type emitter region has a very high density of
conduction-band (free) electrons.
These free electrons easily diffuse through the forward-based BE
junction into the lightly doped & very thin p-type base region
(indicated by wide arrow).
The base has a low density of holes, which are the majority carriers
(represented by the white circles).
A small percentage of the total number of free electrons injected into
the base region recombine with holes & move as valence electrons
through the base region & into the emitter region as hole current
(indicated by red arrows).

BJT operation showing electron flow.

When the electrons that have recombined with holes as valence

electrons leave the crystalline structure of the base, they become free
electrons in the metallic base lead & produce the external base
current.
Most of the free electrons that have entered the base do not recombine
with holes because the base is very thin.
As the free electrons move toward the reverse-biased BC junction,
they are swept across into the collector region by the attraction of the
positive collector supply voltage.
The free electrons move through the collector region, into the external
circuit, & then return into the emitter region along with the base
current.
The emitter current is slightly greater than the collector current
because of the small base current that splits off from the total current
injected into the base region from the emitter.

Transistor Currents
The directions of the currents in both npn and pnp transistors and their
schematic symbol are shown in Figure (a) and (b). Arrow on the emitter
of the transistor symbols points in the direction of conventional
current. These diagrams show that the emitter current (IE) is the sum of
the collector current (IC) and the base current (IB), expressed as follows:

I E = IC + I B

TransistorConstruction
There are two types of transistors:
pnp
npn

pnp

The terminals are labeled:

E - Emitter
B - Base
C - Collector
npn

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TransistorOperation
With the external sources, VEE and VCC, connected as shown:

The emitter-base junction is forward biased

The base-collector junction is reverse biased

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CurrentsinaTransistor
Emitter current is the sum of the collector and
base currents:
IE IC IB

The collector current is comprised of two

currents:
IC IC
I CO
majority
minority

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CommonBaseConfiguration

The base is common to both input (emitterbase) and

output (collectorbase) of the transistor.
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Common-Base Amplifier
Input Characteristics

This curve shows the relationship

between of input current (IE) to input
16
voltage (VBE) for three output
voltage
(V ) levels.

Common-Base Amplifier
Output Characteristics

This graph demonstrates

the output current (IC) to
an output voltage (VCB) for
various levels of17
input
current (I ).

OperatingRegions

Active Operating range of the amplifier.

Cutoff The amplifier is basically off. There

is voltage, but little current.
Saturation The amplifier is full on. There is
current, but little voltage.

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Approximations
Emitter and collector currents:
I

Base-emitter voltage:
VBE 0.7 V (for Silicon)

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Alpha( )
Alpha ( ) is the ratio of IC to IE :
dc

IC
IE

Ideally: = 1
In reality: is between 0.9 and 0.998
Alpha ( ) in the AC mode:
mode
ac

I C
I E

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TransistorAmplification

Currents and Voltages:

Voltage Gain:

Vi
200mV
I E Ii

10mA
Ri
20
I

I
V

I 10 mA
i

I R (10 ma )(5 k) 50 V
L
21

Av

VL
Vi

50V
200mV

250

CommonEmitterConfiguration
The emitter is common to
both input (base-emitter)
and

output

(collector-

emitter).
The input is on the base
and the output is on the
collector.
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CommonEmitterCharacteristics

Base Characteristics

Collector Characteristics
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CommonEmitterAmplifierCurrents
Ideal Currents
IE = IC + IB

IC = IE

Actual Currents
IC = IE + ICBO

where ICBO = minority collector current

ICBO is usually so small that it can be ignored, except in high

power transistors and in high temperature environments.
When IB = 0 A the transistor is in cutoff, but there is some minority
current flowing called ICEO.

I CEO

I CBO
1

I B 0 A

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Beta( )
represents the amplification factor of a transistor. ( is
sometimes referred to as hfe, a term used in transistor
modeling calculations)
In DC mode:

dc

IC

IB

In AC mode:

ac

IC
IB

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VCE constant

Beta( )
Determining from a Graph

AC

(3.2 mA 2.2 mA)

(30 A 20 A)

1 mA
V 7.5
10 A CE
100

2.7 mA
DC
VCE 7.5
25 A
108

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Beta( )
Relationship between amplification factors and

Relationship Between Currents

I C I B

I E ( 1)I B

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CommonCollectorConfiguration

The input is on the base and the output is on the emitter.

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CommonCollectorConfiguration

The characteristics are similar to those of the commonemitter configuration, except the vertical axis is I E.
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OperatingLimitsforEachConfiguration
VCE is at maximum and IC is at
minimum (ICmax= ICEO) in the cutoff
region.
IC is at maximum and VCE is at
minimum (VCE max = VCEsat = VCEO) in
the saturation region.
The transistor operates in the active
region between saturation and cutoff.

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PowerDissipation
Common-base:

PCmax VCB I C
Common-emitter:

PCmax VCE I C
Common-collector:

PCmax VCE I E

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TransistorSpecificationSheet

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TransistorSpecificationSheet

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Transistor Terminal Identification

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