Lecture 23

Example 4
Now we will look at the same circuit, but with a higher base voltage of 6 volts. Also, we will assume the beta to be 50 or larger. Once again we can determine that the emitter junction is forward biased. This means the emitter voltage is 60.7=5.3V Thus the current through the emitter is 5.3V/3.3k=1.6mA

Example 4
Now we want to calculate the collector current by once again utilizing alpha: The collector voltage from this is: Now we have a problem, this collector voltage will clearly put the CBJ into forward bias, so our assumption that the BJT was in active mode is incorrect We could also have done a quick and dirty approximation by taking the collector current to be equal to the emitter current.
We can see that alpha is very close to 1 anyway. The difference between the emitter and collector current is very small, so either way we would have determined the BJT was in saturation.

min =

min + 1

min

= 0.98

I C = I E = 0.98 1.6mA = 1.57 mA

VC = 10 I C RC = 2.63V

VCB = VC VB = 3.37V

Example 4
Armed with this knowledge, we now must solve the circuit assuming it is in saturation
This is the only other state it could be in because the EBJ is forward biased.

The emitter voltage is still correct For the collector, we use the assumed value for VCE Thus we calculate the collector current from RC The base current is just the difference between emitter and collector currents. We can also calculate the forced beta value:

VC VE + VCEsat = 5.3 + 0.2 = 5.5V

IC = 10 5.5 = 0.96mA 4.7 k

I B = I E I B = 0.64mA

forced =

I C 0.96 = = 1.5 I B 0.64

Darlington Transistor
If we take two BJTs and stack them together like shown, we have the Darlington Transistor pair. This configuration can produce higher gains than a single transistor
The emitter current from Q1 biases the base of Q2, Q2 then puts out an even larger current

Q1

But it consumes more power because VBE is twice that of a normal BJT

Q2

Darlington Gain
If we look at the configuration, a positive voltage applied to the Darlington pair will result in both BJTs being in the active mode
Both EB junctions are oriented the same way, so they will both either be forward or reverse biased. In this case if VB>~1,4V they will conduct

The base current of Q2 is the emitter current from Q1: I C = I CQ1 + I CQ2 Thus the collector current through the whole device is = I B + ( + 1)I B Resulting in a beta of: darlington = ( + 2 )

I BQ 2 = I EQ1 = ( + 1)I BQ1

Compound Transistor
We can do something similar with two BJTs that are of opposite flavors. Here though, the second transistor must be fed from the collector to ensure its emitter is forward biased. This configuration has two advantages:
The cutoff voltage is the same as a normal BJT, whereas the Darlington is twice as much The Darlington has stability issues when used in a negative feedback configuration

Both devices can be hybrids for high gain, high power:

Q1 is a low power, high gain BJT Q2 is a low gain, high power BJT

Silicon Controlled Rectifier

Two BJTs configured as shown below form an interesting switch. Initially the two transistors are off... But when you apply a positive bias to the gate, the switch turns on... And stays on... Until the current goes To zero. Then it turns off.

Biasing in BJT Amplifiers

Recall that when we looked at the biasing requirements for amplifiers made from MOSFETs, our biggest concern was keeping a stable drain current A similar case holds for the BJT, with the collector current Here the problem is made worse by the very narrow range of active mode operation along the BJTs transfer curve. Variances in Beta will also affect the stability

A Bad Idea
When we looked at the MOSFET amps, the first biasing scheme we came up with was a common source with a voltage divider at the gate We can do a similar thing with the BJT An alternate, but fundamentally similar approach is to use a base resistor. This fixes the base current rather than the base voltage. Both result in wide variances in the collector current due to variances in Beta.

A Step in the Right Direction

We can attempt a solution to the variances in beta problem by using the feedback resistor concept we used in the MOSFETs Placing a resistor at the emitter provides a means to damp out the effect.
An increase in the emitter current will raise the emitter voltage This will reduce the base emitter voltage, thus reducing the base current This would then reduce the collector current, thus compensating for a larger beta.

A Closer Look
We can convert the voltage divider circuit to a Thevenin equivalent as shown: There will be an effective base voltage, as determined by the voltage divider There will also be an effective base resistance Lastly, this means we can determine the emitter current

VBB

R2 VCC = R1 + R2

RB =
IE =

R1 R2 R1 + R2

VBB VBE RE + RB ( + 1)