Electronic Circuits (ELE_112)

Power Engineering Program

Dr Ayman Elshabrawy M Ahmed Date : 19 /3/2023

Bipolar Junction Transistors
• In this chapter, we study one of the major three-terminal devices: the
bipolar junction transistor (BJT).
• Three-terminal devices are far more useful than two-terminal ones,
such as the diodes because they can be used in many applications,
ranging from signal amplification to the design of digital logic and
memory circuits.
• The basic principle involved is the use of the voltage between two
terminals to control the current flowing in the third terminal. In this
way, a three-terminal device can be used to realize a controlled
source which is the basis of amplifier design.
• Also, in the extreme, the control signal can be used to cause the
current in the third terminal to change from zero to a large value, thus
allowing the device to act as a switch.
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) structure
• The BJT is constructed with three doped
semiconductor regions separated by two pn
junctions.
• The three regions are called emitter, base, and
collector.
• One type consists of two n regions separated by
a p region (npn), and the other type consists of
two p regions separated by an n region (pnp).
• The base region is lightly doped and very thin
compared to the heavily doped emitter and the
moderately doped collector regions.
Basic models of BJT

Note that emitter is shown by

an arrow which indicates the
direction of conventional
current flow with forward
bias.
Simplified Structure and Modes of Operation:-
Basic BJT operation (Bias)
• In order for a BJT to operate properly
as an amplifier, the two pn junctions
must be correctly biased with
external dc voltages.
• The bias arrangement for npn BJTs
for operation as an amplifier.
• Notice that in the base-emitter (BE)
junction is forward-biased and the
base-collector (BC) junction is
reverse-biased with external dc
voltages.
Inside the npn structure
• 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 and very thin p type base
region.
• A small percentage of the total number of
free electrons injected into the base region
recombine with holes and move as valence
electrons through the base region and into
the emitter region as hole current.
Inside the npn structure
• 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 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 emitter current (IE) is the sum of the collector current (IC) and the base current
(IB), expressed as follows
• IE = I B + I C
Characteristic Curves
Characteristic Curves
Regions of Operation
Cutoff Region Active Region Saturation Region

β = Base to collector current gain. Typical value = 100.

α = Emitter to collector current gain. Typical value = 0.99.
Active Region

IS0 = Zero bias saturation current. Typical

value = 1E-15 A.
β0 = Zero bias base to collector
current gain. Typical value = 100.
α = Emitter to collector current gain
= β/(β+1). Typical value = 0.99.
VA = Early Voltage. Typical value = 150.
Active Region
Changing Early Voltage
Changing Beta
Changing Saturation Current Is
Is2 = 0.01 Is1
Is1
Introduce BJT switch
Ic versus Vin
VCE versus Vin
Example LED Load
Circuit symbols and conventions

The emitter is
distinguished by
an arrowhead
• Common emitter current gain (𝜷𝜷):
• At emitter is earth connected (common), input is at base terminal, output at collector terminal
and;

β =
iC
iB

• Common base current gain (𝜶𝜶):

• At base is earth connected (common), input is at emitter terminal, output at collector terminal
and;

α =
iC
iE

β α β
=
1−α
α = Proof?
β +1
Example 1
• The transistor in the circuit has β=100 and exhibits a VBE of 0.7V at iC=1mA. Design the circuit so that a
current of 2mA flows through the collector and a voltage +5V appears at the collector.
• Consider VT = 0.025 and Is = 1

2
IB = = 0.02mA
β
I E = I C + I B = 2.02mA
15 − 5
RC = = 5 KΩ
2m
2
VBE = 0.7 + VT ln( ) = 0.717V
1
VE = −0.717V
−0.717 − (−15)
RE = = 7.07 KΩ
2.02
Transistor I-V characteristics

• According to this equation, the collector current is independent on the collector

base junction voltage vCB . Hence the I-V characteristics are as shown in figure.