Chapter 4 The BJT

Bipolar Junction Transistor

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4

BJT Basics (Structure, Symbols, Parameters)

Static Analysis
BJT Circuit Models (Ebers-Moll, Hybrid-Pi)
SPICE Analysis

Literature:
Pierret, Chapter 10-12, page 371-462
Jaeger, Blalock, Chapter 5, page 207-261
Acknowledgement Oliver Brand for slides

4.1 BJT Basics

4.1.1 Structure and Fabrication
4.1.2 Terminology and Effects
Circuit Symbols
Circuit Configurations
Modes of Operation
4.1.3 Basic Operation
Equilibrium
Active Mode
Pierret, Chapter 10, page 371-385

4.1.1 BJT Structure & Fabrication

BJT Bipolar Junction Transistor
Bipolar: electrons and holes participate in the
conduction process
Junction: two coupled pn-junctions with a joint base
region
Transistor: transistor action requires that the base
width W is much smaller than the minority carrier
diffusion length L in the base

W << L = D

Basic Device Structures

PNP Transistor
Emitter Base

p+

NPN Transistor
Collector

Emitter Base

Easier to explain and

understand

NA,E ND,B > NA,C

n+

Collector

More common in device

applications, because of the
larger mobility of the minority
carriers (electrons) in the base
ND,E NA,B > ND,C

NPN BJT Cross-Section

BJT Fabrication
Epi-substrate: p-type
substrate with epitaxial ntype circuit layer
Burried layer: highly doped
layer to reduce collector
series resistance
N+-emitter/p-base: doped
regions defined by ion
implantation and diffusion
Base width W: defined by a
well-controllable vertical
distance
Isolation diffusion: to
electrically insulate
neighboring transistors

4.1.2 Terminology and Effects

Circuit Symbols
PNP Transistor
p+
E
IE

n
B

NPN Transistor

p
C

VEC

n+
E
IC

IE

C
+

VEB

IB

(i) IE = IB + IC

VCB

p
B

n
C

VCE +
IC

VBE

VBC

IB
+

+
B

(ii) VEB + VBC + VCE = 0 with Vab = Vba

Comments to Terminology
Voltages: the first letter in the double subscript of the
voltages identifies the (+) terminal, the second letter
the () terminal; VEB, for example, is the dc voltage
drop between emitter (+) and base (); keep in mind,
that a voltage can also be negative, i.e. VEB < 0
actually means that the potential is more negative on
the emitter compared to the base.
Voltages nomenclature: the voltage nomenclature
for the pnp and npn BJT are chosen in a way, that a
positive voltage means a forward-biased, a negative
voltage a reverse-biased junction; this way the results
from the pn-junction chapters can be reused.

Circuit Configurations
Common Base
Configuration

Common Emitter
Configuration

Pierret, Fig. 10.3/10.4

Modes of Operation
Biasing
Mode

E-B
B-C
Junction Junction
Polarity Polarity

Active

Inverted

Saturation

Cutoff

F = forward bias
R = reverse bias
Pierret, Fig. 10.5

4.1.3 Basic Operation

Equilibrium
Doping:
NA,E ND,B > NA,C
Depletion Regions (DR):
E-B Junction: DR mainly in B
B-C Junction: DR mainly in C
Fermi Level EF:
Flat across BJT because of
equilibrium
Effective Base Width W:
Smaller than base width WB
because of depletion regions

Potential

E-field

Space charge

Pierret, Fig. 10.7

PNP BJT in
Active Mode
Forward Bias

PNP transistor in
common-base
configuration with
forward-biased E-B
junction and reversebiased B-C junction
In case W LB, holes
injected from the
emitter into the base
can diffuse across the recombination
base without
recombination and are
EF,E
then swept into the
collector
hole injection

Reverse Bias
Sze, Fig. 5.4

Space Charge
E-Field
small saturation current

EF,C
EF,B
hole diffusion to BC junction
hole collector current

Active Mode The Currents I

Sze, Fig. 5.5

IE Emitter current
IB Base current
IC Collector current
IEp Emitter hole current IBB Recombination current ICp Collector hole current
IEn Emitter electron current
ICn Collector electron current

Active Mode The Currents II

IE = IEp + IEn
IC = ICp + ICn

IB = IE IC = IEn + IEp ICp ICn

!
#"#
$
= IBB

Common Base Current Gain

Common Base
Current Gain 0:

ICp
IE

ICp
IEn + IEp

# I
&
Ep
%
(
%$IEn + IEp ('
!
#"#
$

emitter efficiency

0 0 1

#I &
% Cp (
%$ IEp ('
%
T
base transport
factor

0 T 1
01
Good BJT:
0, T, 1

Common Base Circuit Characteristic

Output Current = IC

IC = ICp + ICn

= 0 IE + ICn
!
=T

IC
2 mA
IE = 2 mA
0 IE

1 mA
independent of VBC
Saturation Current = ICB0

ICB0 ICn = IC (IE = 0)

saturation current through
reverse-biased BC junction
for open emitter (IE = 0)
Circuit Characteristic:

IC = 0 IE + ICB0

IE = 1 mA
ICB0

0
0

IE = 0 mA

VBC

Common Emitter Characteristics

I = I + I = (I + I ) + I
(1 ) I = I + I
Good BJT:
0

0 E

CB0

0 B

CB0

ICB0
0
IC =
IB +
1 0
1 0
!
!
0
ICE0

Current Gain 0:
0
0 =
1 0

Circuit Characteristic
IC = 0 IB + ICE0

CB0

0 >> 1
IC

8 mA
IB = 20 A
0 IB
4 mA

IB = 10 A
ICE0

0
0

IB = 0 A

VEC