Basic Bipolar Junction

Transistor
Dr. Arbab Waheed Ahmad
Transistor Structures
• 3 separately doped regions
• 3 terminal device
• 2 PN junctions
• 4 possible modes
• Basic principle
“ Voltage between two terminals
control current through the third
terminal”
• Bipolar: Electrons + Holes current
Transistor Structures
• 3-terminals:
• Emitter
• Base
• Collector
• No electrical symmetry
• Different geometry
• Different doping
• Changing terminals will change
the operation
npn transistor: Forward active mode
• 3 configurations:
• Common- Emitter
• Common-Base
• Common-Collector
• 4 possible bias combinations
• Forward-active mode (F/R)
• Inverse-active mode (R/F)
• Saturation mode (F-F)
• Cutoff mode (R-R)
• Forward-active mode:
• B-E: Forward bias
• B-C: Reverse bias
npn transistor: Forward active mode
• Transistor Currents:
• Emitter Current

depends upon cross-section of junction

• Collector Current

• Base Current:

• Common-emitter current gain

npn transistor: Forward active mode
• Common-emitter configuration:
• B-E junction is forward biased
• B-C junction is reverse biased
• must be sufficiently large to
make B-C junction reverse
biased
•  cutoff
npn transistor: Forward active mode
• Current Relationships
npn transistor: Forward active mode
Circuit Symbols and Conventions
Current-Voltage characteristics,
Voltage Transfer Characteristics
• Common-emitter
BJT Applications (Switch)
• Inverter
• Cutoff
• Saturation
• If and transistor is cutoff
• Since voltage drop across load is
zero and
• Power dissipation is zero
• And load will turn OFF
 BJT Applications (Switch)
• If and transistor is in saturation
• And load will turn ON
BJT Applications (Digital Logic)
BJT Applications (Amplifier)