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Transistor Unit 2

A transistor is a three-terminal semiconductor device that can amplify or switch electronic signals and electric current. It consists of three layers of semiconductor material - a collector, base, and emitter. Transistors come in two main types - bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field effect transistors (FETs). BJTs have two junctions made of p-type and n-type semiconductor, and can be NPN or PNP, depending on layer order. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and are now widely used to amplify signals in devices like radios and televisions.

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90 views

Transistor Unit 2

A transistor is a three-terminal semiconductor device that can amplify or switch electronic signals and electric current. It consists of three layers of semiconductor material - a collector, base, and emitter. Transistors come in two main types - bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field effect transistors (FETs). BJTs have two junctions made of p-type and n-type semiconductor, and can be NPN or PNP, depending on layer order. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and are now widely used to amplify signals in devices like radios and televisions.

Uploaded by

DINESH SINGH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit-2

Transistors

Transistor definition : A bipolar junction transistor or BJT is a three terminal electronic device
that amplifies the flow of current. It is a current controlled device. In bipolar junction transistor,
electric current is conducted by both free electrons and holes.

Unlike a normal pn junction diode, the transistor has two p-n junctions.

A transistor is a three-terminal semiconductor device that amplifies or switches the flow of


current.

or

A transistor is an electronic device that controls the current flow or switches the current flow.

What is transistor?

A transistor is a three-terminal semiconductor device that amplifies the electronic signals such as
radio and television signals. Before the transistors came into existence, vacuum tubes are used to
amplify the electronic signals. But now a days vacuum tubes are replaced by transistors because
of its various advantages over vacuum tubes.

Transistor is symmetrical to a vacuum triode and relatively very small in size. Transistor is a
composition of two words Transfer and Resistor. A transistor consists of three layers of semi
conductor material and each layer is having the capability of transferring current to the other
layers.

This three layer semiconductor device consisting of either two n-type and one p-type layers of
material or two p-type and one n-type layers of material. First type is called an npn transistor,
while the other is called a pnp transistor respectively.

Germanium and silicon are most preferable semiconductor materials which conducts electricity
in semi energetic way. By the process of doping to the semi conductor material, the result adds
additional electrons to the material or produce holes in the material.

The difference between the diode and the transistor is: A diode is made up of two layers and
one junction. Transistor is made of three layers with two junctions. A transistor can acts as an
on/off switch or an amplifier.
Classification of transistors :- The transistors classification can be understood by observing the
below tree diagram

The transistors are mainly classified into two types: Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) and Field
Effect Transistor (FET). In Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), both free electrons and holes
conduct electric current whereas in Field Effect Transistor (FET) either free electrons or holes
conduct electric current.

Bipolar junction transistor definition

Types of Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

The bipolar junction transistors are formed by sandwiching either n-type or p-type


semiconductor layer between pairs of opposite polarity semiconductor layers.

Bipolar junction transistors are classified into two types based on their construction: They are

 NPN transistor

 PNP transistor

NPN transistor

When a single p-type semiconductor layer is sandwiched between two n-type semiconductor
layers, the transistor is said to be an npn transistor.
Transistor Symbol :

PNP transistor

When a single n-type semiconductor layer is sandwiched between two p-type semiconductor
layers, the transistor is said to be a pnp transistor.

Both PNP and NPN transistors consist of three terminals: they are emitter, base, and collector.

Easy way to remember these transistor symbols is that

 PNP
 NPN
 In the symbol of a transistor the arrow indicates the direction of the current flow.
The positive and negative states of voltage and direction of current flow, are always be in an
opposite direction in PNP transistor with respect to NPN transistor. However the operation
performed by the NPN and PNP transistors are same.

Terminals of BJT

Emitter:

As the name suggests, the emitter section supplies the charge carriers. The emitter section is
heavily doped so that it can inject a large number of charge carriers into the base. The size of the
emitter is always greater than the base.

Base:

The middle layer is called base. The base of the transistor is very thin as compared to emitter and
collector. It is very lightly doped.

Collector:

The function of the collector is to collect charge carriers. It is moderately doped. That is the
doping level of the collector section is in between emitter and base. The size of the collector is
always greater than emitter and base. The collector area in the transistor is considerably larger
than the emitter area. This is because the collector region has to handle more power than the
emitter does and more surface area is required for heat dissipation.

Operation Modes of the Transistor :

There are four modes of operations they are saturation, cutoff, active and reverse active.
Saturation Mode

In this mode transistor acts as a switch. From collector to emitter the current will flow
unconditionally (short circuit). Both diodes are in state of forward biased.

Cut-off Mode

In this mode also transistor acts like a switch but there is no current flow from collector to
emitter (open circuit). There is no current flow through both emitter and collector terminals.

Active Mode

In this mode the transistor acts like an amplifier that is the current from the collector terminal to
emitter terminal is corresponding to the current through the base terminal. Base will amplify the
current moving into the collector terminal and outgoing from the emitter terminal.

Reverse active Mode

The current from the collector terminal to emitter terminal is corresponding to the current
through the base terminal but this flow is in reverse direction.

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