Bipolar Junction Transistor

(BJT)

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 Transistors
• Two main categories of transistors:
• bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and
• field effect transistors (FETs).
• Transistors have 3 terminals where the application of
current (BJT) or voltage (FET) to the input terminal
increases the amount of charge in the active region.
• The physics of "transistor action" is quite different for the
BJT and FET.
• In analog circuits, transistors are used in amplifiers and
linear regulated power supplies.
• In digital circuits they function as electrical switches,
including logic gates, random access memory (RAM), and
microprocessors.

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 The Junction Transistor
• First BJT was invented early in 1948, only weeks
after the point contact transistor.
• Initially known simply as the junction transistor.
• It did not become practical until the early 1950s.
• The term “bipolar” was tagged onto the name to
distinguish the fact that both carrier types play
important roles in the operation.
• Field Effect Transistors (FETs) are “unipolar”
transistors since their operation depends primarily on
a single carrier type.

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 Bipolar Junction Transistors
• A bipolar transistor
(BJT)
essentially consists of a pair of
PN Junction diodes that are
joined back-to-back.
• There are therefore two kinds
of BJT, the NPN and PNP
varieties.
• The three layers of the
sandwich are conventionally
called the Collector, Base, and
Emitter.

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 Introduction
• The basic of electronic system nowadays is
semiconductor device.
• The famous and commonly use of this device
is BJTs
(Bipolar Junction Transistors).
• It can be use as amplifier and logic switches.
• BJT consists of three terminal:
 collector : C
 base :B
emitter : E
• Two types of BJT : pnp and npn

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Position of the terminals and symbol of BJT.

•• Base
Base isis located
located at
at the
the middle
middle
and more
and more thin
thin from
from the
the level
level
of collector
of collector and
and emitter
emitter
•• The
The emitter
emitter and
and collector
collector
terminals are
terminals are made
made ofof the
the
same type
same type of
of semiconductor
semiconductor
material, while
material, while the
the base
base ofof the
the
other type
other type of
of material
material

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 Transistor Construction

• 3 layer semiconductor device consisting:

• 2 n- and 1 p-type layers of material  npn transistor
• 2 p- and 1 n-type layers of material pnp transistor
• The term bipolar reflects the fact that holes and
electrons participate in the injection process into the
oppositely polarized material
• A single pn junction has two different types of bias:
• forward bias
• reverse bias
• Thus, a two-pn-junction device has four types of bias.

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• BJTs are usually constructed vertically
• Controlling depth of the emitter’s n doping sets the base
width

E B C

n
p
n

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• By imaging the analogy of diode, transistor can be
construct like two diodes that connetecd together.
• It can be conclude that the work of transistor is base on
work of diode.

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Terminals & Operations

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 Terminals & Operations

• Three terminals:
• Base (B): very thin and lightly doped central region (little
recombination).
• Emitter (E) and collector (C) are two outer regions sandwiching
B.
• Normal operation (linear or active region):
• B-E junction forward biased; B-C junction reverse biased.
• The emitter emits (injects) majority charge into base region and
because the base very thin, most will ultimately reach the
collector.
• The emitter is highly doped while the collector is lightly doped.
• The collector is usually at higher voltage than the emitter.

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Operation Mode

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Operation Mode

• Active:
• Most importance mode, e.g. for amplifier operation.
• The region where current curves are practically flat.
• Saturation:
• Barrier potential of the junctions cancel each other out
causing a virtual short.
• Ideal transistor behaves like a closed switch.
• Cutoff:
• Current reduced to zero
• Ideal transistor behaves like an open switch.

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Operation Mode

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 How the BJT works
• Figure shows the energy levels
in an NPN transistor under no
externally applying voltages.
• In each of the N-type layers
conduction can take place by the
free movement of electrons in
the conduction band.
• In the P-type (filling) layer
conduction can take place by the
movement of the free holes in
the valence band.
• However, in the absence of any
externally applied electric field,
we find that depletion zones
NPN Bipolar Transistor form at both PN-Junctions, so
no charge wants to move from
one layer to another.

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 Transistor currents
-The arrow is always drawn
on the emitter

-The arrow always point

toward the n-type

npn bipolar junction transistor -The arrow indicates the

direction of the emitter
current:
pnp:E B
npn: B E
IC=the collector current
IB= the base current
pnp bipolar junction transistor
IE= the emitter current

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Common-emitter, common-collector, and common-base configurations of n–p–n and
p–n–p transistors
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 Common-Emitter Configuration BJT NPN Transistor
• 1 thin layer of p-type, sandwiched between 2 layers of n-type.
• N-type of emitter: more heavily doped than collector.
• With VC>VB>VE:
• Base-Emitter junction forward biased, Base-Collector reverse biased.
• Electrons diffuse from Emitter to Base (from n to p).
• There’s a depletion layer on the Base-Collector junction no flow of e-
allowed.
• BUT the Base is thin and Emitter region is n+ (heavily doped)  electrons
have enough momentum to cross the Base into the Collector.
• The small base current IB controls a large current IC

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 BJT characteristics

• Current Gain:
• α is the fraction of electrons that diffuse
across the narrow Base region
• 1- α is the fraction of electrons that I C  I E
recombine with holes in the Base region to
create base current I B  (1   ) I E
• The current Gain is expressed in terms of
the β (beta) of the transistor (often called IC 
hfe by manufacturers).  
• β (beta) is Temperature and Voltage IB 1
dependent.
• It can vary a lot among transistors
(common values for signal BJT: 20 - 200).

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 • IB is microamperes compared
to miliamperes of IC.
• IB will flow when VBE > 0.7V
for silicon and 0.3V for
germanium
• Before this value IB is very
small and no IB.
• Base-emitter junction is
forward bias
• Increasing VCE will reduce IB
for different values.

Input characteristics for a

common-emitter NPN transistor
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 Output characteristics for a
common-emitter npn
transistor

• For small VCE (VCE < VCESAT, IC increase linearly with increasing
of VCE
• VCE > VCESAT IC not totally depends on VCE  constant IC
• IB(uA) is very small compare to IC (mA). Small increase in IB
cause big increase in IC
• IB=0 A  ICEO occur.
• Noticing the value when ICGovind
=0A. There is still some value of
current flows.
 NPN Common Emitter characteristics
• Emitter is grounded.
• Base-Emitter starts to conduct with VBE=0.6V,IC flows and it’s IC=b*IB.
• Increasing IB, VBE slowly increases to 0.7V but IC rises exponentially.
• As IC rises ,voltage drop across RC increases and VCE drops toward ground. (transistor in
saturation, no more linear relation between IC and IB)
Collector current
controlled by the Collector current The avalanche
collector circuit. proportional to Base current multiplication of
(Switch behavior) current through
collector junction
In full saturation
occurs: to be avoided
VCE=0.2V.

No current flows
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 Operation region summary

Operation IB or VCE BC and BE Mode

Region Char. Junctions
Cutoff IB = Very Reverse & Open
small Reverse Switch
Saturation VCE = Small Forward & Closed
Forward Switch
Active VCE = Reverse & Linear
Linear Moderate Forward Amplifier
Break- VCE = Large Beyond Overload
down Limits
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 Common-Base Configuration
• Common-base terminology is derived from the fact that
the :
- base is common to both input and output of the
configuration.
- base is usually the terminal closest to or at
ground potential.
• All current directions will refer to conventional (hole) flow
and the arrows in all electronic symbols have a direction
defined by this convention.
• Note that the applied biasing (voltage sources) are such
as to establish current in the direction indicated for each
branch.

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• To describe the behavior of common-base amplifiers
requires two set of characteristics:
- Input or driving point characteristics.
- Output or collector characteristics
• The output characteristics has 3 basic regions:
- Active region –defined by the biasing arrangements
- Cutoff region – region where the collector current is 0A
- Saturation region- region of the characteristics to the left
of VCB = 0V

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 Common – Collector Configuration
• Also called emitter-follower (EF).
• It is called common-emitter configuration since both the
signal source and the load share the collector terminal
as a common connection point.
• The output voltage is obtained at emitter terminal.
• The input characteristic of common-collector
configuration is similar with common-emitter.
configuration.
• Common-collector circuit configuration is provided with
the load resistor connected from emitter to ground.
• It is used primarily for impedance-matching purpose
since it has high input impedance and low output
impedance.

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Notation and symbols used with the common-collector configuration:
(a) pnp transistor ; (b) npn transistor.

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• For the common-collector configuration, the output
characteristics are a plot of IE vs VCE for a range of values of IB.

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Simulation of transistor as an
amplifier

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 Beta () or amplification factor
• The ratio of dc collector current (IC) to the dc base
current (IB) is dc beta (dc ) which is dc current gain
where IC and IB are determined at a particular operating
point, Q-point (quiescent point).
• It’s define by the following equation:

30 < dc < 300  2N3904

• On data sheet, dc=hFE with h is derived from ac hybrid

equivalent cct. FE are derived from forward-current
amplification and common-emitter configuration
respectively.
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• For ac conditions an ac beta has been defined as the
changes of collector current (IC) compared to the
changes of base current (IB) where IC and IB are
determined at operating point.
• On data sheet, ac=hfe
• It can defined by the following equation:

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 BJT as Switch
•Vin(Low ) < 0.7 V
•BE junction not forward
biased
•Cutoff region
•No current flows
•Vout = VCE = Vcc
•Vout = High
•Vin(High)
•BE junction forward biased (VBE=0.7V)
•Saturation region
•VCE small (~0.2 V for saturated BJT)
•Vout = small
•IB = (Vin-VB)/RB Govind
 BJT as Switch 2
• Basis of digital logic circuits
• Input to transistor gate can be analog or digital
• Building blocks for TTL – Transistor Transistor Logic
• Guidelines for designing a transistor switch:
• VC>VB>VE
• VBE= 0.7 V
• IC independent from IB (in saturation).
• Min. IB estimated from by (IBminIC/).
• Input resistance such that IB > 5-10 times IBmin because  varies
among components, with temperature and voltage and RB may change
when current flows.
• Calculate the max IC and IB not to overcome device specifications.

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In a BJT, the emitter current is 8 mA and IB = IC/100. Determine IC and IB.

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