Transistors

Bipolar Junction Transistors

Engr. Katrina B. Acapulco

 Introduction
• Basically, it consists of two back-to-back PN junctions
manufactured in a single semiconductor crystal.
• These two junctions give rise to three regions called
emitter, base and collector.
 Introduction
Emitter – more heavily doped than any of the other regions
because its main function is to supply majority charge
carriers to the base.
Base – forms the middle section of the transistor. It is very
thin as either the emitter or collector and it is very
lightly-doped.
Collector – its main function is to collect majority charge
carriers coming from the emitter and passing through
the base.
– this region is made physically larger than the
emitter region because it has to dissipate much greater
power.
 Transistor Biasing
• For proper working of a transistor, it is essential to apply
voltages of correct polarity across its two junctions.
1. Emitter-base junction is always forward biased.
2. Collector-base junction is always reverse-biased.
 Important Biasing Rule
• For a PNP transistor, both collector and base are negative
with respect to the emitter. Collector is more negative than
the base.
• For NPN transistor, both collector and base are positive
with respect to the emitter. Collector is more positive than
the base.
 Transistor Currents
• The three primary currents which flow in a properly-
biased transistor are IE, IB and IC.
• IE = IB + IC
• A small part (about 1-2%) of emitter current goes to
supply base current and the remaining major part (98-
99%) goes to supply collector current.
• Moreover, IE flows into the transistor whereas IB and IC
flow out of it.
Transistor Currents
 Summing Up
• The four basic guideposts about all transistor circuits are:
1. Conventional current flows along the arrow
whereas electrons flow against it.
2. E/B junction is always forward-biased.
3. C/B junction is always reverse-biased.
4. IE = IB + IC
 Transistor Circuit
Configurations
• Basically, there are three types of circuit connections for
operating a transistor.
1. CB 2. CE 3. CC
- the term “common” is used to denote the electrode that is
common to the input and output circuits.
 CB Configuration
• In this configuration, emitter current IE is the input current
and collector current IC is the output current.
• The input signal is applied between the emitter and base
whereas output is taken out from the collector and base.
 CB Configuration
• The ratio of the collector current to the emitter current is
called dc alpha (αdc) of a transistor.
αdc = -IC / IE
• The negative sign is due to the fact that current IE
flows into the transistor whereas IC flows out of it.
IC = - αdc IE
• If we write αdc simply as α, then α = IE/IC
• It is also called forward current transfer ratio(-hFB).
 CB Configuration
• The α of a transistor is a measure of the quality of the
transistor: the higher the value the better the transistor in
the sense that collector current more closely equals the
emitter current.
• Its value ranges from 0.95 to 0.999.
• It applies only to CB configuration of a transistor.
IC = α I E IB = IE - α IE = (1- α) IE
 CB Configuration
• Incidentally, there is also an ac α for a transistor. It refers
to the ratio of change in the collector current to the
change in emitter current.
αac = - ∆IC / ∆IE
• It is also known as short-circuit gain of a
transistor and it is written as –hfb.
• For all practical purposes: αdc = αac = α
 CE Configuration
• Here, input signal is applied between the base and emitter
and output signal is taken out from the collector and
emitter circuit.
• IB is the input current and IC is the output current.
 CE Configuration
• The ratio of the collector current to the dc base current is
called dc beta (βdc) or just β of a transistor.
β = - IC / - IB = IC / IB or IC = βIB
• It is also called common-emitter dc forward transfer ratio
and it is written as hFE.
• It is possible for β to have a value as high as 500.
• For ac analysis: βac = ∆IC / ∆IB
• It is also written as hfe.
• IE = IB + IC = IB + βIB = (1 + β)ΙΒ
 Relation Between α and β
∀ β = IC / IB and α = IC / IE
• Therefore : β / α = ΙΕ / ΙΒ
• Now : IB = IE – IC
• Therefore: β = IC / IE – IC
= (Ι /IE) / (IE/IE) – (IC/IE)
C

= α / 1 −α
• Cross-multiplying the previous equation:
β(1−α) = α or β = α (1+ β) or
α = β / (1+ β)
 CC Configuration
• In this case, input signal is applied between base and
collector and output signal is taken out from emitter-
collector current.
• Conventionally speaking, here IB is the input current and
IE is the output current.
 CC Configuration
• IE/IB = IE/IC x IC/IB = β / α = β / β(1+ β)
= (1 + β)
• IE = IB + IC = IB + βΙΒ = (1 + β)ΙΒ
• Therefore:
output current = (1+ β) x input current
 Relations Between Transistor
Currents
While deriving various equations, following
definitions should be kept in mind:
α = IC / IE , β = IC / IB , α = β / (1+ β) and
β = α / 1−α
•IC = βΙΒ = β / (1+ β) x IE
∀ΙΒ = ΙC/ β = IE / (1+ β) = (1−α)ΙΕ
3. IE = IC/ α = (1+ β) / β x IC = (1+ β) ΙΒ
=Ι Β / (1−α)
 Relations Between Transistor
Currents
4. The three transistor dc currents always bear the following
ratio:
IE: IB : IC
1 : (1−α) : α
Incidentally, it may be noted that for ac currents, small
letters ie, ib and ic are used.