Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology

Center of Information Technology and Scientific Computing
Fundamental of Electronics

Chapter 4
Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)
Introduction

• The invention of the transistor was the beginning of a

technological revolution that is still continuing.
• All of the complex electronic devices and systems today
are an outgrowth of early developments in
semiconductor transistors.
• Two basic types of transistors are the bipolar junction
transistor (BJT), and the field-effect transistor (FET).
• The BJT is used in two broad areas as a linear amplifier
to boost or amplify an electrical signal, as an electronic
switch.
• The term bipolar refers to the use of both holes and
electrons as current carriers in the transistor structure.
BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (BJT) STRUCTURE
Constructing BJT
The BJT is constructed with three
doped semiconductor regions
separated by two pn
junctions, as shown in the epitaxial
planar structure on the right.

One type consists of two n regions separated by a p region (npn), and the other
type consists of two p regions separated by an n region (pnp).’

Physical representations
Standard BJT (bipolar junction transistor) symbols.Operation
BASIC BJT OPERATION
Biasing

In order for a BJT to operate properly as an amplifier, the two pn junctions must
be correctly biased with external dc voltages.
 Operation

The heavily doped

n-type emitter region
has a very high
density of
conduction-band
(free) electrons.

These free electrons

easily diffuse through the
forward biased BE
junction into the lightly
doped and very thin p-
type base region.

The lightly doped p-type base has a low density

of holes,. which are the majority carriers (white
circles).
 Operation
A small percentage of the total number of free
electrons injected into the base region recombine
with holes and move as valence electrons through
the base region, and holes into the emitter region as
hole current (red arrows).

When the electrons that have recombined with holes

as valence electrons leave the crystalline structure
of the base, they become free electrons in the
metallic base lead and produce the external base
current.

Most of the free electrons that have entered the base

do not recombine with holes because the base is
very thin (no enough holes).
Majority of free electrons move toward the reverse-biased BC junction and swept across into
the collector region by the attraction of the positive collector supply voltage.
The free electrons move through the collector region, into the external circuit, and then
return into the emitter region along with the base current. (IE = IC + IB).
The emitter current is slightly greater than the collector current because of the small base
current that splits off from the total current injected into the base region from the emitter (IE
= IC + IB).
 Transistor Currents
+ –
+ –
IC IC
IC IC
n p
IB IB IB IB
+ p + – n –
n p
IE IE
IE npn IE pnp
– +
– +

The direction of conventional current flows in the direction of the

arrow on the emitter terminal. The emitter current IE is the sum of
the collector current IC and the small base current IB.
That is, IE = IC + IB.
The emitter current is slightly more that collector current.
The voltage drop between base and emitter is V BE whereas the voltage drop
between collector and base is called VCE.
 DC Beta (βDC) and DC Alpha (αDC)

• The collector current is directly proportional to the base current.

IC ∝ IB
• βDC as constant of proportionality.
IC = βDC IB

• This eq explains amplification of current.

• Ratio of DC collector current and DC base current.
βDC == IC/IB

• Typical values of βDC range from less than 20 to 200 or higher.

• The ratio of the dc collector current (IC) to the dc emitter current (IE) is the dc
alpha (αDC). IC = αDC IE,
• The alpha is a less-used parameter than beta in transistor circuits.
• Typically, values of αDC range from 0.95 to 0.99 or greater, but αDC is always
less than 1.
Example

Solution
Transistor DC Model
 BJT Circuit Analysis

Currents and voltages in BJT

IB : dc base current
IE: dc emitter current
IC: dc source current

VBE: dc voltage at base wrt. emitter

VCE: dc voltage at collector wrt.
emitter.
VCB: dc voltage at collector wrt. Base.

VBE = 0.7V
VCE = VCC – IC RC
IB = (VBB – VBE ) / RB
VCB = VCE – VBE
Example
Solution
 BJT Collector Characteristics Curve

The collector characteristic curves shows three mode

of operations of transistor with the variation of
collector current IC w.r.t VCE for a specified value of
base current IB.
VBB is set to produce a certain
value of IB and VCC is zero and
VCE is zero.
As VCE is increased, IC increases
until B.
Both BE and BC junctions are
forward biased and the
transistor is in Saturation
region.
 BJT Collector Characteristics Curve - Saturation

In saturation, an increase of base current has no effect on the

collector circuit and the relation IC = bDCIB is no longer valid.

IC(SAT) =VCC –VCE(SAT) /RC –

RC
+

IC
RB + +
VCE = VCC – IC RC VCC
+ IB – –
At this point, the transistor VBB
–
current is maximum and voltage
across collector is minimum, for
a given load.
 BJT Collector Characteristics Curve - Linear

As VCE is increased furthers and exceeds 0.7V the base-collector

junction becomes reverse-biased and the transistor goes into the
active, or linear, region of its operation.
IC levels off and remains IC

essentially constant for a

given value of IB as VCE continues C
Active region
to increase. B

the value of IC is determined

only by the relationship
expressed as
A VCE
0 0.7 V VCE(max)
 BJT Collector Characteristics Curve –Cut off

In a BJT, cutoff is the condition in which there is no base

current, which results in only an extremely small leakage
current (ICEO) in the collector circuit. For practical work, this
current is assumed to be zero.

RC

In cutoff, neither the base-emitter ICEO

RB +
junction, nor the base-collector VCE ≅ VCC
+
VCC
–
junction are forward-biased. IB = 0 –
 BJT Collector Characteristics Curve family

By setting up other values of

base current, a family of
collector curves is developed.
IC

bDC is the ratio of collector IB6

current to base current. IB5

IC
 DC 
IB4

IB IB3

It can be read from the curves. IB2

The value of bDC is nearly the IB1

same wherever it is read in Cutoff region IB = 0

VCE
active region. 0
Example
Solution
Solution
DC Load Line
The DC load line represents the circuit that is external to
the transistor. It is drawn by I C

connecting the saturation and

cutoff points.
Saturation
I C(sat)

The transistor characteristic Here VCE = 0 and

curves are shown IC = IC-Sat = VCC -VCE(Sat) / RC
superimposed on the load line.
The region between the
saturation and cutoff points is
called the active region. IB = 0 Cutoff
VCE
0 VCE(sat) VCC

Here IB = 0 and
VCE = VCC
Example
Solution
DC Load Line
RC 3.3 kW

RB +
What is the saturation current and βDC = 200
VCC
15 V
the cutoff voltage for the circuit? VBB
+ 220 kW –

Assume VCE = 0.2 V in saturation. 3V –

VCC  0.2 V 15 V  0.2 V

I SAT    4.48 mA VCO  VCC  15 V
RC 3.3 k

3.0 V  0.7 V
Is the transistor saturated? I B   10.45  A
220 k
IC = b IB = 200 (10.45 mA) = 2.09 mA Since IC < ISAT, it is not saturated.
 The BJT as an amplifier

Amplification is the process of linearly increasing the amplitude of an

electrical signal and is one of the major properties of a transistor.

When a BJT is biased in the active (or linear) region, the BE junction
has a low resistance due to forward bias and the BC junction has a high
resistance due to reverse bias.
DC and AC Quantities
The text uses capital letters for both AC and DC currents and voltages
with rms values assumed unless stated otherwise.
DC Quantities use upper case roman subscripts. Example: VCE.
(The second letter in the subscript indicates the reference point.)
AC Quantities and time varying signals use lower case italic
subscripts. Example: Vce.
Internal transistor resistances are indicated as lower case
quantities with a prime and an appropriate subscript. Example: re’.
External resistances are indicated as capital R with either a
capital or lower case subscript depending on if it is a DC or ac
resistance. Examples: RC and Rc.
BJT Amplifiers
A BJT amplifies AC signals by converting some of the DC power from
the power supplies to AC signal power. An ac signal at the input is
superimposed in the dc bias by the capacitive coupling. The output ac
signal is inverted and rides on a dc level of VCE.
RC
Vin

VBB
RB +
0 r e′ VCC
Vc Vc –
+
Vin VBB Vb
–
VCE

0
 Voltage Amplification

Ac base voltage Vb=Ier’e

The ac collector voltage, Vc, equals the ac voltage drop across RC.
Example
Solution
BJT Switches

A BJT can be used as a switching device in logic circuits to turn on or

off current to a load. As a switch, the transistor is normally in either
cutoff (load is OFF) or saturation (load is ON).

+VCC +VCC +VCC +VCC

RC IC = 0 RC RC IC(sat) RC IC(sat)

RB C RB C
+
0V +VBB
IB = 0 E IB E
–

In cutoff, the transistor In saturation, the transistor

looks like an open switch. looks like a closed switch.
Example
Solution
A simple application of transistor switch
Example
Solution
Tutorial Session
What is a transistor?
List the major application of BJT
Explain the constructional features, and principle of operation
Define the following terms :
base-emitter junction, base-collector junction, bipolar
Show the bias arrangement for both pnp and npn BJT for operation as an
amplifier
Draw the circuit symbol of an npn BJT and show the BJT terminals in it,
show in it the directions of the currents and the polarities of the
voltages, when BJT is in active region;
what is the typical range of variation of the current gain β of BJT
Define relationship between transistor currents.
What is the collector current I of the bipolar transistor in common
C

emitter connection if I = 40 μA and current gain β = 250. What is the

B

value of emitter current I ?E

Tutorial Session
Drive the relation :

Draw and explain the transistor DC model

Draw and explain collector characteristics curve.
Distinguish between active region, saturation region , cut-off region and
reverse break down region of NPN transistor.
Draw dc load line and explain its purpose
Explain how NPN is used as a voltage amplifier
Explain how NPN is used as a switch
Tutorial Session
For the transistor circuit in Fig below, let and

For the transistor circuit in Fig below, let and

End of chapter four