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IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN

 The physical structure of the bipolar transistor and how it works.

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

 The equations that describe current-voltage relationships.
 How to analyze and design circuits that contain bipolar transistors, resistors,
and dc sources.
 How the transistor can be used to make an amplifier.
 How to obtain linear amplification from the fundamentally nonlinear BJT.
By: Behailu T.  The three basic ways for connecting a BJT to be able to construct amplifiers
with different properties.
Lecture#1
 Practical circuits for bipolar-transistor amplifiers that can be constructed by
using discrete components.

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Outline
 Introduction
Introduction
 Device Structure and Operation Lecture#1  Two basic types of Transistors:
 BJT circuits on DC  Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

 Biasing in BJT circuit amplifiers Lecture#2

 Field-Effect Transistor (FET) – and have derivatives (e.g. JFET & MOSFET)

 Transistor Configurations  BJT is a three terminal current operated device made of

semiconductors in which current flow between terminals.
Small signal modes and operation
BJT was invented in 1948 at Bell Telephone Laboratories.

Lecture#3 
 Single stage BJT amplifiers  Ushered in a new era of solid-state circuits.
 Multistage Amplifiers  It was replaced by MOSFET as predominant transistor used in modern
Lecture#4 electronics.
 Power Amplifiers
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Introduction BJT : Structure

Emitter – E | Base – B | Collector - C
 Used in a multitude of  Two types of BJT:
applications:  PNP and NPN
1. signal amplification
2. design of digital logic and
memory circuits. High B C

 The basic principle is the use

of the voltage between two C B

terminals to control the

E
current flowing in the third Low E

terminal. Doping level Area

NB: This properties are not shown in the

left figure for simplicity Fig. 3.2: Basic BJT construction and symbol (a) npn (b) pnp

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_
BJT : Operation BJT : Modes of Operation
+
EBJ CBJ

BJT is a current controlled Transistor consists of two pn-

Width of pipe : Resistance
 
Water flow : Current
switch. Pressure pushing the water junctions: _ _
: Voltage Emitter-Base junction (EBJ) + +
 If we establish a small Handle of valve : Base pin

Collector-Base junction (CBJ)
current from Base to

Mode EBJ CBJ
B Operating mode depends on
Emitter;

Cutoff Reverse Reverse
biasing:
C E
-- -- -
 The transistor will switch  Active Active Forward Reverse
“ON”, and it will allow a  Cutoff (forward)

large current to flow from  Saturation Reverse Active Reverse Forward

the Collector to the Emitter. Saturation Forward Forward

Fig. 3.3: Operation method in a typical NPN
transistors and a faucet analogy
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NB: The barrier region between the junction is not
shown on the figure for simplification
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_
BJT : Modes of Operation BJT : Modes of Operation
+
EBJ CBJ

Saturation mode:
Active mode:

 When the BEJ becomes FB and the IB is

 The effect of VCB can be neglected.
_ _ increased,
 IC  IE , whatever value of VCB. + + • collector current also increases
 Application in linear amplifiers Due to
thermally • VCE decreases as a result of more
produced drop across the collector resistor
 Cutoff mode: carriers  When VCE = VCE(sat),
 IB = 0 • BCJ becomes forward-biased Fig.3.5: Saturation mode
 ICO or ICEO can be neglected (too small • IC can increase no further even with
effect) a continued increase in IB
 VCE ≅ VCC  VCE(sat) ≅ 0.2 – 0.3V for Si
 Application in switching circuit.  Application in switching circuit.
Fig.3.4: Cutoff mode

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BJT : Operation - Case of npn BJT : Operation - Case of npn

 The collector characteristic  A family of collector

curves show how IC varies characteristics curves is
with VCE, for specified value produced when IC versus VCE
of IB. is plotted for several values
Active region

of IB.
 When IB = 0, the transistor is
=0
in the cutoff region although
there is a very small collector
leakage current.
0.7V for Si
Fig.3.6: Typical npn biasing configuration Fig.3.7: Collector characteristic curves Fig.3.8: Family of Collector characteristic curves

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BJT : Operation – As Amplifier

 In normal operation (aka. Amplifier), the Base-Emitter is forward-biased
and the Base-Collector is reverse-biased.

(a) npn (b) pnp

Fig. 3.9: Biasing voltage and current flow in BJTs

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BJT : Operation – As a switch BJT : Configuration

 Conditions in Cutoff
Ideally open base  Since transistors are three-terminal devices, one electrode must
remain common to both the input and the output.


 Neglecting the small leakage current, IB = 0

 VCE = VCC  Three types of BJT configuration
 Conditions in Saturation  Common Base (CB) configuration
 Common Emitter (CE) configuration
VCE(sat) could be neglected as
it’s small  Common Collector (CC) configuration

 The minimum value of base current needed to

 Two sets of characteristics:
produce saturation is:  Input parameters
 output parameters

IB should be significantly greater than IB(min)

to keep the transistor well into saturation Fig.3.10: Switching action of an ideal transistor ECE, CoEME, AASTU 16

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BJT : Configuration: Common Base (CB) BJT : Configuration: Common Emitter (CE)
 Input  The most frequently
parameters: used
 VBE & IE
 Input parameters:
 VBE & IB

 Output
parameters:  Output parameters: NPN
PNP

 VCB & IC  VCE & IC

Fig. 3.12: Notation and symbols used with the common-Emitter configuration:
Fig. 3.11: Notation and symbols used with the common-base configuration: (a) pnp transistor; (b) npn transistor.
(a) pnp transistor; (b) npn transistor. 17 18

BJT : Configuration: Common Collector(CC) BJT : Characteristics and Parameters

 Output and Input  DC Beta (βDC)
Characteristics of CC are the  DC current gain of a transistor
same for CE configuration  usually designated as an equivalent
 Has high input impedance and hybrid (h) parameter, hFE, on transistor
data sheets.
low output impedance.
Typical value: 20 to 200
Used for impedance-matching.


DC Alpha (αDC)

 OR
 Less-used parameter than beta in
transistor circuits
Fig. 3.13: Notation and symbols used with the common-
collector configuration: (a) pnp transistor; (b) npn  Typically: 0.95 to 0.99 (always <1)
transistor.

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BJT : Characteristics and Parameters BJT : Characteristics and Parameters

DC Current and Voltage Analysis DC Current and Voltage Analysis
In Fig.3.5, three transistor dc currents and VBB forward-biases the base-emitter junction
RB
 
three dc voltages can be identified: and VCC reverse-biases the base-collector
 IB: DC base current junction.
 IE: DC emitter current  When the base-emitter junction is forward-
 IC: DC collector current
biased, it is like a forward-biased diode and
has a nominal forward voltage drop of
 VBE: DC voltage at base with respect to FB
emitter
≅ .
 VCB: DC voltage at collector with respect to
base
 VCE: DC voltage at collector with respect to Fig. 3.14 Transistor currents and voltages Fig. 3.14 Transistor currents and voltages
emitter
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BJT : Characteristics and Parameters BJT : Characteristics and Parameters

DC Current and Voltage Analysis DC Current and Voltage Analysis
 Since the emitter is at ground (0 V), by KVL,  The voltage VCE is
the voltage across RB is:

The drop across RC is,

by Ohm’s law,

where IC is,

 Voltage across the reverse-biased CBJ:

Fig. 3.14 Transistor currents and voltages Fig. 3.14 Transistor currents and voltages

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BJT : Characteristics and Parameters BJT : Transistor DC Model

DC Current and Voltage Analysis
Equation that relates current flow in the  Input circuit is a forward-biased diode through which there is base
current.

collector, base, and emitter currents is;
Output circuit is a dependent current source with a value that is
I E = IB + I C

dependent on the base current, IB
 Since IB is very small; and measured typically in
µA

IE ≈ IC
Fig. 3.14 Transistor currents and voltages
Fig.3.15: Ideal dc model of an npn transistor.

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Examples Solution: The first step is always to label the current

direction and voltage polarity on the circuit.
1: +
On the _ +
right
look: + _
_

On the
left
look:

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Solution:
2:

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Examples
3) Determine whether or not the transistor shown below is in
saturation. Assume VCE(sat) = 0.2 V.
Solution:

»The transistor is operated in saturation mode

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Next… Quiz
4) What is the saturation current and the cutoff voltage for the
 Common biasing techniques of BJT: circuit? Is the transistor in saturation? Assume VCE(sat) = 0.2 V.

 Base (Fixed) Bias Solution:

RC 3.3 kW
.
Collector-Feedback Bias C(sat) = = = 4.48mA
( )
 . RB +
VCC
Voltage-Divider Bias
β DC = 200
15 V
CO = CC = 15V
 + 220 kW –

Emitter Bias
V BB

Is the transistor saturated?

 3V –

 Emitter-Feedback Bias 3.0 V − 0.7 V

= = 10.45 A
220 k
 Concept of Load-Line analysis IC = βDCIB = 200 (10.45 mA) = 2.09mA Since IC < IC(sat), it is in active mode.

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Quiz Quiz
5) Determine whether or not the transistor below is in saturation? 5) Determine whether or not the transistor below is in saturation?
Assume VCE(sat) = 0.2 V, βDC = 50. Assume VCE(sat) = 0.2 V, βDC = 50.
Solution (1/2): Solution (2/2):

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