Electronic Devices

KEEE 2224
Lecture 4
BJT

Minority Carrier Distribution

Dr. Ghafour Amouzad Mahdiraji
October 2012

Minority Carrier

The goal is to calculate the currents in the bipolar transistor.

Since diffusion currents are produced by minority carriers, we must determine
the steady-state minority carrier distribution in each of the 3 transistor regions.

Forward-Active Mode

Base Region

Base Region

Base Region

Base Region

Example 1

Emitter Region

Emitter Region

Emitter Region

Example 2

Collector Region

Example 3

Cutoff Mode

Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar transistor in cutoff mode of

operation

Saturation Mode

Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar transistor in saturation mode of

operation

Inverse-Active Mode

Minority carrier distribution in an npn bipolar transistor in inverse-active mode

of operation

Inverse-Active Mode

Cross section of an npn bipolar transistor showing the injection and collection of
electrons in the inverse-active mode

Transistor Currents
and
Low-Frequency
Common-Base Current Gain

Particle Components

Particle current density or flux

components in an npn bipolar
transistor operating in the forwardactive mode.

IB

e- flow

1
IE

Hole
p+

n
IEp or IE1
IEn or IE2

IC

IC

Particle Components
The factor J nE is the electron flux injected from the emitter into the base.
As the electrons diffuse across the base, a few will recombine with
majority carrier holes. The majority carrier holes that are lost by
recombination must be replaced from the base terminal. This

replacement hole flux is denoted by J RB

. The electron flux that reaches
the collector is J nC . The majority carrier holes from the base that are

injected back into the emitter result in a hole flux denoted by J pE

. Some
electrons and holes that are injected into the forward-biased B-E space
charge region will recombine in this region. This recombination leads to
the electron flux J R . Generation of electrons and holes occurs in the
reverse-biased B-C junction. This generation yields a hole flux J G .
Finally, the ideal reverse-saturation current in the B-C junction is
denoted by the hole flux J pc 0 .

Current Components

Particle current density or flux components in an npn bipolar transistor operating in

the forward-active mode.

Current Densities

Current Gain

Current Gain

Derivation of Transistor Current

Components and Current Gain Factor

Emitter Injection Efficiency Factor

Emitter Injection Efficiency Factor

Emitter Injection Efficiency Factor

Example 4

Base Transport Factor

Base Transport Factor

Example 5

Recombination Factor

Recombination Factor

Example 6

Summary

Summary
Expressions for the
limiting factors
assuming xB << LB
and xE << LE .

Example 7

Example 8

Example 9

Example 10

Example 10

Exercises