Chapter :-3

Class 1

Bipolar Junction Transistors

(BJT)
 Basic Bipolar Junction Transistor
The Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) has three separately doped regions and
contains two pn junctions.

A single pn junction has two modes of operation—forward bias and reverse bias.

The bipolar transistor, with two pn junctions, therefore has four possible modes of
operation, depending on the bias condition of each pn junction,

 With three separately doped regions, the bipolar transistor is a three-terminal

device
Cont..
The basic transistor principle is that the voltage between two terminals controls
the current through the third terminal.

However, the two pn junctions are sufficiently close together to be called

interacting pn junctions.

The operation of the transistor is therefore totally different from that of two back-
to-back diodes.

Current in the transistor is due to the flow of both electrons and holes, hence the
name bipolar.
 Transistor Structures
Figure 5.1 shows simplified block diagrams of the basic structure of the two types
of bipolar transistor: npn and pnp.
Cont..
The npn bipolar transistor contains a thin p-region between two n-regions. In
contrast, the pnp bipolar transistor contains a thin n region sandwiched between
two p-regions.

The three regions and their terminal connections are called the emitter, base, and
collector.

The operation of the device depends on the two pn junctions being in close
proximity, so the width of the base must be very narrow, normally in the range of
tenths of a micrometer (10 micrommeter).

The emitter layer is heavily doped, with the base and collector only lightly doped.
The outer layers have widths much greater than the sandwiched p - or n -type
material.
Cont…

Fig.3.3 Types of transistors: (a) pnp; (b) npn.

Cont..
The doping of the sandwiched layer is also considerably less than that of the outer
layers (typically, 1:10 or less).

This lower doping level decreases the conductivity (increases the resistance) of
this material by limiting the number of “free” carriers.

The term bipolar reflects the fact that holes and electrons participate in the
injection process into the oppositely polarized material.

If only one carrier is employed (electron or hole), it is considered a unipolar

device.
 Transistor operation
The operation of the npn transistor is exactly the same as pnp transistor if
the roles played by the electron and hole are interchanged..

Fig. 3.4a the pnp transistor has been redrawn without the base-to collector
bias.

The depletion region has been reduced in width due to the applied bias,
resulting in a heavy flow of majority carriers from the p - to the n -type
material.
PNP transistor operation
Cont..
Let us now remove the base-to-emitter bias of the pnp transistor of Fig. 3.3a as
shown in Fig. 3.4b .

the flow of majority carriers is zero, resulting in only a minority-carrier flow, as

indicated in Fig. 3.4b .

In summary, therefore:

One p–n junction of a transistor is reverse-biased, whereas the other is
forward-biased.
Cont..

In Fig. 3.5 both biasing potentials have been applied to a pnp transistor, with the
resulting majority-carrier and minority-carrier flows indicated.

Note in Fig. 3.5 the widths of the depletion regions, indicating clearly which
junction is forward-biased and which is reverse-biased.

As indicated in Fig. 3.5 , a large number of majority carriers will diffuse across
the forward biased p–n junction into the n -type material.
Cont..

Transistor symbol

 The question then is whether these carriers will contribute directly to the base
current IB or pass directly into the p -type material.
Cont..

Since the sandwiched n -type material is very thin and has a low conductivity, a
very small number of these carriers will take this path of high resistance to the
base terminal.

The magnitude of the base current is typically on the order of microamperes, as

compared to milli amperes for the emitter and collector currents.

The larger number of these majority carriers will diffuse across the
reverse-biased junction into the p -type material connected to the collector
terminal as indicated in Fig. 3.5 .
Cont..
The reason for the relative case with which the majority carriers can cross the
reverse-biased junction is easily understood if we consider that for the reverse-
biased diode the injected majority carriers will appear as minority carriers in the
n -type material.

In other words, there has been an injection of minority carriers into the n -type
base region material.

Combining this with the fact that all the minority carriers in the depletion region
will cross the reverse-biased junction of a diode accounts for the flow indicated in
Fig. 3.5 .
Cont..
Applying Kirchhoff’s current law to the transistor of Fig. 3.5 as if it were a single
node, we obtain and find that the emitter current is the sum of the collector and
base currents.
IE = IC + IB (3.1)
…………………………………………………………………………………

The collector current, however, comprises two components the majority

and the minority carriers as indicated in Fig. 3.5 .

The minority-current component is called the leakage current and is given the
symbol ICO ( IC current with emitter terminal open).
Cont..
The collector current, therefore, is determined by

For general-purpose transistors, IC is measured in milli amperes and ICO is

measured in microamperes or nano amperes.

 ICO , like Is for a reverse-biased diode, is temperature sensitive and must be

examined carefully when applications of wide temperature ranges are considered.

It can severely affect the stability of a system at hig temperature if not considered
properly.
Cont..
Improvements in construction techniques have resulted in significantly lower
levels of ICO , to the point where its effect can often be ignored.
 The following point are worth nothing
1. In a p-n-p transistor majority charge carriers are holes.

2. The C-current always less than IE b/c some recombination of holes and electrons
takes place. IE=IB + IC
3. The current amplification ( ∝ )(or gain of p-n-p transistor) for steady conditions
when connected in common base configuration is expressed as:-

∝ = (Ic / IE) < 1 Ic= ∝ IE

4.Emitter arrow shows the direction of flow of conventional current .evidently
electrons flow will be in the opposite direction.
 Working of n-p-n transistor
In n-p-n transistor the E B is FB and the C B is RB.

Electrons in the E region are repelled by the –Ve battery terminal to words the E
or n-p junction.

The electrons across over in to the p-type base region b/c potential barrier is
reduced due to FB.

Since the base is thin and lightly doped ,most of the electrons(about 95%) cross
over in to the c-junction and enter the c-region where they are readily swept up by
the +ve collector voltage Vc. only about 5% of the E-electrons combine with the
holes in the base and are lost as a charge carriers.
Cont..

symbol
n-p-n-transistor
 The following points are worth nothing
1. In a n-p-n transistor ,majority charge carriers are electrons.

2. Ic < Ie so that ∝ <1. and IE= IB + IC.

3. E arrows shows the direction of flow of conventional current.

Note:-The choice of n-p-n transistor is made more often b/c majority charge
carriers are electrons .whose mobility is much more than that of holes.
 BJT-configuration and characteristics curve
A transistor is a 3 terminal device namely E, B and C but we require 4 terminals .

 Two for the input and two for output for connecting it in a ckt.

 Hence one of the terminal of the transistor is made common to the input and
output ckts.
 There are 3 types of configurations for operation of a transistor. These
configuration are:-

1. Common-base (CB) configuration.

2. Common-emitter (CE) configuration.
 3.Common-collector (CC) configuration.

Note:-we shall discuss the 1st two arrangements only as the transistor is rarely
connected in common collector connection.
1. Common Base Configuration
In this ckt configuration i/p is applied b/n E and B and o/p is taken from C and B.
here base of the transistor is common for both i/p and o/p ckts and hence the name
common base configuration.
A CB-configuration for n-p-n transistor is shown below.

Common -base n-p-n transistor

a. Current amplification factor (∝):-
it is the ratio of o/p current to i/p current in CB ckt the i/p current is the Ie and o/p
current is Ic.

The ratio of change in Ic to the change in Ie at constant collector-base voltage Vcb is

known as current amplification factor i.e.

 ∝ = ( Ic / IE) at constant VcB

If only D.C. values are considered, than ∝ = (Ic / IE ) , ∝ < 1.

This value can be increased by decreasing the IB (∝ not >1).this is accomplished

by making the base thin and doping it lightly. (practically ∝ varies from 0.9 to
0.99 )
 B).Total collector current (Ic ):-

ICBO

If switch s is open (i.e IE=0),the ckt is that of a RB diode and the only current in
the collector is leakage current ICBO (meaning C to B current when E is open) as
shown in the fig. above (i) this is due to the movement of minority carriers
across the RB collector-base junction.

When switch S is closed the emitter current IE is divides b/n C and B the current
flowing in the collector is ∝ IE (∝ = Ic/IE) and current in base is IB=(1- ∝)IE as
shown in the fig (ii) above.
Cont..

Total collector current Ic= ∝ IE (due to majority) + ICBO (due to minority)

IC= ∝ IE +ICBO ,but IE=IB + IC

IC (1- ∝)= ∝ IB + ICBO

IC = (∝ / 1- ∝ ) IB + ICBO (temperature dependent unless we can ignore it since it is in

microampere so very small compared to mA.
 Characteristics curve

 Common base transistor