Lecture 16

OUTLINE
The BJT (cont’d)
• Ideal transistor analysis
• Narrow base and narrow emitter
• Ebers-Moll model
• Base-width modulation

Reading: Pierret 11.1-11.2; Hu 8.2-8.6

 Notation (PNP BJT)

NE  NAE NB  NDB NC  NAC

DE  DN DB  DP DC  DN
tE  tn tB  tp tC  tn
LE  LN L B  LP L C  LN
nE0  np0 = ni2/NE pB0  pn0  ni2/NB nC0  np0  ni2/NC

R. F. Pierret, Semiconductor Device Fundamentals, Fig. 11.1

 “Game Plan” for I-V Derivation
• 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

• Find minority-carrier diffusion currents at depletion region edges

dnE dp B
I En = −qAD E dx" I Ep = −qAD B dx
x"=0 x =0

dnC dp B
I Cn = qAD C dx ' I Cp = −qAD B dx
x '= 0 x =W
• Add hole & electron components together → terminal currents
BJT Performance Parameters
1
= ni E 2 D N W
Assumptions:
1+ E B
ni B 2 DB N E LE
• emitter junction forward
biased, collector junction
1 reverse biased
T =
1+ ( )
1 W 2
2 LB
• W << LB
Replace LE with WE’ if WE’ << LE
1
 dc =
1+
ni E 2 DE N B W
ni B 2 DB N E LE
+ ( )
1 W 2
2 LB

1
 dc = ni E 2 DE N B W
ni B 2 DB N E LE
+ ( )
1 W 2
2 LB
 Ebers-Moll Model

increasing

(npn) or VEC (pnp)

C. C. Hu, Modern Semiconductor Devices for Integrated Circuits, Figure 8-2

The Ebers-Moll model is a large-signal equivalent circuit which

describes both the active and saturation regions of BJT operation.
• Use this model to calculate IB and IC given VBE and VBC
 In the general case, both VEB and VCB are non-zero:

I C =  F I F 0 (e qVEB / kT
− 1) − I R 0 (e qVCB / kT
− 1)
IC: C-B diode current + fraction of E-B diode current that makes it to the C-B junction

I E = I F 0 (eqVEB / kT − 1) −  R I R 0 (eqVCB / kT − 1)
IE: E-B diode current + fraction of C-B diode current that makes it to the E-B junction

Large-signal equivalent circuit for a pnp BJT

R. F. Pierret, Semiconductor Device Fundamentals, Fig. 11.3

 Base-Width Modulation
Common Emitter Configuration, Active Mode Operation
W
IE P N P IC
IC 1
=  dc =
( )
+
niE 2 DE N B W
IB
n 2 DB N E LE
+ 12 W 2
LB
iB

2
niB DB N E LE
+
VEB
−  2
niE DE N BW
pB(x) IC

( )
pB 0 e qVEB / kT − 1
(VCB=0)

x VEC
0 W(VBC)
EE130/230A Fall 2013 Lecture 26, Slide 7
Ways to Reduce Base-Width Modulation
1. Increase the base width, W

2. Increase the base dopant concentration NB

3. Decrease the collector dopant concentration NC

Which of the above is the most acceptable action?

 Early Voltage, VA
−1
 I C  VA
Output resistance: r0    
 VEC  IC

A large VA (i.e. a large ro ) is desirable

IC
IB3

IB2

IB1

0 VEC
VA
 Derivation of Formula for VA
dI C I IC
Output conductance: g 0  = C
dVEC VA
 VA =
g0

dI C dI C
VEC = VEB + VBC so g o = = for fixed VEB
dVEC dVBC

dIC dW dIC  dxnC  where xnC is the width of the

go = • = •  −  collector-junction depletion region
dW dVBC dW  dVBC  on the base side
xnC

P+ N P
Summary: BJT Performance Requirements
• High gain (dc >> 1)
→ One-sided emitter junction, so emitter efficiency   1
• Emitter doped much more heavily than base (NE >> NB)
→ Narrow base, so base transport factor T  1
• Quasi-neutral base width << minority-carrier diffusion length (W << LB)

• IC determined only by IB (IC  function of VCE,VCB)

→ One-sided collector junction, so quasi-neutral base width W does
not change drastically with changes in VCE (VCB)
• Based doped more heavily than collector (NB > NC)
(W = WB – xnEB – xnCB for PNP BJT)