ELECTRONICs

INTRODUCTION
TO
330
Ices fast switehi.
tunnel diode
multivibrator produces
switching
Wave.
times are in the nano secon
The
forms, the rising
and falling
that the
second range.
from the disadvantage he voltage
voltage levels
However, they suffer of
device is a two terminal one.
the
operation are low and

7.2 Unijunction Transistor (UJT)

The tunnel diode we discussed in the last section is a ltage

controlled negative resistance device. In this section we will study a
current controlled negative resistance device, the unijunction
transistor. The PN PN diode discussed in the last chapter is also
unijunction
a
current controlled negative re
sistance device.
N TYPE
SECTION The UJT is manufactured
be by alloying aluminium on a
high resistance N-type silicon
E
bar. The alloying produces a P
region. Connections are made
to the ends of the bar and the
P region From the construction
Fig. 7.17. Unijunction transistor. it is evident that the structure
is a junction diode with two
bases B1 and Ba and one
emitter E. UJT was originally calieu
a double based diode.
The bases Ba and
Bi are connected to the ends of a
When a current flows battery (
from B2 to B1, a PN
point X. The potential on the junction is formed at tne
Where rl and rz Nside of the junction is V.rn/rb1+ 3
are the
bar B1X and BX. This ratioresistances of the two sections of the silico
off ratio (n). r1/ro+ha) is called the intrinsic sts

ww.E 2

Fig. 7.18. UT
circuit.
 NEGATIvE RESISTANCE DPVICES AND CIRCUITS
331
when Vi is zero the current in the emitter circuit
is the
reverse
current of the diode and is very
turation small As the
satuaised
raised by increasing the voltage Vi the re verse potential
ofE is
the diode decreases. The current is still very small and flows out of
voltage on

mitter. The potential diference across the diode

becomes zero
nthe potential at E becomes equal to the potential on the N
s4
side
of the junction which is n.. The diode starts conducting when
the cut in voltage is established across it i.c. when the potential at
Fhecomes 7 + y where Vy is the cut in voltage. The diode current
fows from E to Bi and it is determined by the voltage across the
diadc, When the diode conducts holes are injected across the
iunction and the hole density on the N side of the junction ie. in
bar increases. As the charge neut rality is
the N-type semiconductor
to be maintained
there is an increase in the electron density aiso in
an increase in the
the N-type semiconductor bar. Thus there is
in the semiconductor
density of charge carriers between Xand B1
carriers reduces the
bar. This increase in the density of charge
there is a decrease
resistance rti. When the resistance rb1 decreases
an increase in the junction
in the voitage between X and B1 causing
is
voltage which in turn causes an increase in current. The process
with decrease in emitter
regenerative, emitter current increasing
a

of operation exhibits negative

voitage. The device in this region
carriers increases to a larg
resistance. When the density of charge
does not depend
value recombination and the resistance
increases
current can be
onwards the
oD the current flowing. From this point
voltage, the device exh1biting
nicreased only by increasing the emitter
positive resistance. 7.19. V, is
UJT is shown
in Fig
TDe characteristic of the

NEGATVE
RESISTAHCE

REGION
EMITTER POSiTVE
vOLTAGE RESSTANCE
REGION

,tMiTER CURRENT
O,0
Characteristic
of UJT.
Fig. 7.19.
and is called
diode starts conducting
the
ne voltage at which Vr 1, is called the peak
current.
The firing voltage, it is equal to 7V+ .