NORTHERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

DISTANCE LEARNING.

PROGRAM :DIPLOMA IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

SUBJECT: ELECTRONICS

MODULE No.:81-11B

MODULE TITLE: TRANSISTORS

SUBTITLE: BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTORS

FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTORS

COPYRIGHT: This document shall not be reproduced in any form without express
permission of the NORTEC © Chisanga Mubanga. August 2012.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Foreword……………………………………..... Page. 3

2. Objectives……………………………………… Page. 4

3. Bipolar Transistor Junction…………….…….. Page. 5

4. Field Effect Transistor…………………..…… Page. 20

5. Reference .......................................................... Page. 57

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FOREWORD:

Dear Student,
Welcome to this module in Electronics. Electronics has become indispensable in our lives.
From the time you woke up today up to now, there are many electronic gadgets that you dealt
with knowingly or not. Possibly you listened to the radio or used your cell-phone this
morning. These gadgets are electronic gadgets. Imagine you are watching your t.v. or
listening to your radio and suddenly there is too much power from Zesco and this results in
your t.v. or radio to be damaged and when you turn on it does not switch on. What do you do
under the circumstances? Replacing the item by way of buying or if you take it for repairs it
will cost you more than you yourself repairing it. This module will help you understand the
composition and properties of the electronic components so that in due course you will be
able to maintain and repair electronic equipment.

The Electronics for your program is done in level 2. Under this module, you are ideally
looking at diode making and application. Apart from this you will look at transistor
fabrication and application.

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OBJECTIVES:

After studying this module you will be able to:

1. Define transistor

2. Identify transistor terminals

3. Compare BJT and FET

4. Describe operation of BJT and FET

5. Apply transistors as biasing and equivalent circuits

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 BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR JUNCTION

Simple diodes are made up from two pieces of semiconductor material, either silicon
or germanium to form a simple PN-junction and we also learnt about their properties
and characteristics. If we now join together two individual signal diodes back-to-
back, this will give us two PN-junctions connected together in series that share a
common P or N terminal. The fusion of these two diodes produces a three layer, two
junction, three terminal device forming the basis of a Bipolar Junction Transistor,
or BJT for short.

Transistors are three terminal active devices made from different semiconductor
materials that can act as either an insulator or a conductor by the application of a
small signal voltage. The transistor's ability to change between these two states
enables it to have two basic functions: "switching" (digital electronics) or
"amplification" (analogue electronics). Then bipolar transistors have the ability to
operate within three different regions:

 1. Active Region - the transistor operates as an amplifier and Ic = β.Ib

 2. Saturation - the transistor is "fully-ON" operating as a switch and
Ic = I(saturation)
 3. Cut-off - the transistor is "fully-OFF" operating as a switch and Ic = 0

Typical Bipolar Transistor

The word Transistor is an acronym, and is a combination of the words Transfer

Varistor used to describe their mode of operation way back in their early days of
development. There are two basic types of bipolar transistor construction, PNP and
NPN, which basically describes the physical arrangement of the P-type and N-type
semiconductor materials from which they are made.

The Bipolar Transistor basic construction consists of two PN-junctions producing

three connecting terminals with each terminal being given a name to identify it from
the other two. These three terminals are known and labeled as the Emitter ( E ), the
Base ( B ) and the Collector ( C ) respectively.

Bipolar Transistors are current regulating devices that control the amount of current
flowing through them in proportion to the amount of biasing voltage applied to their
base terminal acting like a current-controlled switch. The principle of operation of
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the two transistor types PNP and NPN, is exactly the same the only difference being
in their biasing and the polarity of the power supply for each type.

Bipolar Transistor Construction

The construction and circuit symbols for both the PNP and NPN bipolar transistor are
given above with the arrow in the circuit symbol always showing the direction of
"conventional current flow" between the base terminal and its emitter terminal. The
direction of the arrow always points from the positive P-type region to the negative
N-type region for both transistor types, exactly the same as for the standard diode
symbol.

Bipolar Transistor Configurations

As the Bipolar Transistor is a three terminal device, there are basically three
possible ways to connect it within an electronic circuit with one terminal being
common to both the input and output. Each method of connection responding

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differently to its input signal within a circuit as the static characteristics of the
transistor vary with each circuit arrangement.

 1. Common Base Configuration - has Voltage Gain but no Current Gain.

 2. Common Emitter Configuration - has both Current and Voltage Gain.
 3. Common Collector Configuration - has Current Gain but no Voltage Gain.

The Common Base (CB) Configuration

As its name suggests, in the Common Base or grounded base configuration, the
BASE connection is common to both the input signal AND the output signal with the
input signal being applied between the base and the emitter terminals. The
corresponding output signal is taken from between the base and the collector
terminals as shown with the base terminal grounded or connected to a fixed
reference voltage point. The input current flowing into the emitter is quite large as
its the sum of both the base current and collector current respectively therefore, the
collector current output is less than the emitter current input resulting in a current
gain for this type of circuit of "1" (unity) or less, in other words the common base
configuration "attenuates" the input signal.

The Common Base Transistor Circuit

This type of amplifier configuration is a non-inverting voltage amplifier circuit, in that

the signal voltages Vin and Vout are in-phase. This type of transistor arrangement is
not very common due to its unusually high voltage gain characteristics. Its output
characteristics represent that of a forward biased diode while the input
characteristics represent that of an illuminated photo-diode. Also this type of bipolar
transistor configuration has a high ratio of output to input resistance or more
importantly "load" resistance (RL) to "input" resistance (Rin) giving it a value of
"Resistance Gain". Then the voltage gain (Av) for a common base configuration is
therefore given as:

Common Base Voltage Gain

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Where: Ic/Ie is the current gain, alpha (α) and RL/Rin is the resistance gain.

The common base circuit is generally only used in single stage amplifier circuits such
as microphone pre-amplifier or radio frequency (Rf) amplifiers due to its very good
high frequency response.

The Common Emitter (CE) Configuration

In the Common Emitter or grounded emitter configuration, the input signal is

applied between the base, while the output is taken from between the collector and
the emitter as shown. This type of configuration is the most commonly used circuit
for transistor based amplifiers and which represents the "normal" method of bipolar
transistor connection. The common emitter amplifier configuration produces the
highest current and power gain of all the three bipolar transistor configurations. This
is mainly because the input impedance is LOW as it is connected to a forward-biased
PN-junction, while the output impedance is HIGH as it is taken from a reverse-biased
PN-junction.

The Common Emitter Amplifier Circuit

In this type of configuration, the current flowing out of the transistor must be equal
to the currents flowing into the transistor as the emitter current is given as
Ie = Ic + Ib. Also, as the load resistance (RL) is connected in series with the
collector, the current gain of the common emitter transistor configuration is quite
large as it is the ratio of Ic/Ib and is given the Greek symbol of Beta, (β). As the
emitter current for a common emitter configuration is defined as Ie = Ic + Ib, the
ratio of Ic/Ie is called Alpha, given the Greek symbol of α. Note: that the value of
Alpha will always be less than unity.

Since the electrical relationship between these three currents, Ib, Ic and Ie is
determined by the physical construction of the transistor itself, any small change in
the base current (Ib), will result in a much larger change in the collector current (Ic).
Then, small changes in current flowing in the base will thus control the current in
the emitter-collector circuit. Typically, Beta has a value between 20 and 200 for most
general purpose transistors.

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By combining the expressions for both Alpha, α and Beta, β the mathematical
relationship between these parameters and therefore the current gain of the
transistor can be given as:

Where: "Ic" is the current flowing into the collector terminal, "Ib" is the current
flowing into the base terminal and "Ie" is the current flowing out of the emitter
terminal.

Then to summarise, this type of bipolar transistor configuration has a greater input
impedance, current and power gain than that of the common base configuration but
its voltage gain is much lower. The common emitter configuration is an inverting
amplifier circuit resulting in the output signal being 180o out-of-phase with the input
voltage signal.

The Common Collector (CC) Configuration

In the Common Collector or grounded collector configuration, the collector is now

common through the supply. The input signal is connected directly to the base,
while the output is taken from the emitter load as shown. This type of configuration
is commonly known as a Voltage Follower or Emitter Follower circuit. The
emitter follower configuration is very useful for impedance matching applications
because of the very high input impedance, in the region of hundreds of thousands of
Ohms while having a relatively low output impedance.

The Common Collector Transistor Circuit

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The common emitter configuration has a current gain approximately equal to the β
value of the transistor itself. In the common collector configuration the load
resistance is situated in series with the emitter so its current is equal to that of the
emitter current. As the emitter current is the combination of the collector AND the
base current combined, the load resistance in this type of transistor configuration
also has both the collector current and the input current of the base flowing through
it. Then the current gain of the circuit is given as:

The Common Collector Current Gain

This type of bipolar transistor configuration is a non-inverting circuit in that the

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signal voltages of Vin and Vout are in-phase. It has a voltage gain that is always less
than "1" (unity). The load resistance of the common collector transistor receives
both the base and collector currents giving a large current gain (as with the common
emitter configuration) therefore, providing good current amplification with very little
voltage gain.

Bipolar Transistor Summary

Then to summarise, the behaviour of the bipolar transistor in each one of the above
circuit configurations is very different and produces different circuit characteristics
with regards to input impedance, output impedance and gain whether this is voltage
gain, current gain or power gain and this is summarised in the table below.

Bipolar Transistor Characteristics

The static characteristics for a Bipolar Transistor can be divided into the following
three main groups.

Input Characteristics:- Common Base - ΔVEB / ΔIE

Common Emitter - ΔVBE / ΔIB

Output Characteristics:- Common Base - ΔVC / ΔIC

Common Emitter - ΔVC / ΔIC

Transfer
Common Base - ΔIC / ΔIE
Characteristics:-
Common Emitter - ΔIC / ΔIB

with the characteristics of the different transistor configurations given in the

following table:

Common Common Common

Characteristic
Base Emitter Collector
Input Impedance Low Medium High
Output Impedance Very High High Low
Phase Angle 0o 180o 0o
Voltage Gain High Medium Low
Current Gain Low Medium High
Power Gain Low Very High Medium

In the next tutorial about Bipolar Transistors, we will look at the NPN Transistor in
more detail when used in the common emitter configuration as an amplifier as this is
the most widely used configuration due to its flexibility and high gain. We will also
plot the output characteristics curves commonly associated with amplifier circuits as
a function of the collector current to the base current.

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Transistor Biasing

Transistor Biasing is the process of setting a transistors DC operating voltage or

current conditions to the correct level so that any AC input signal can be amplified
correctly by the transistor.

A transistors steady state of operation depends a great deal on its base current,
collector voltage, and collector current and therefore, if a transistor is to operate as
a linear amplifier, it must be properly biased to have a suitable operating point.

Establishing the correct operating point requires the proper selection of bias resistors
and load resistors to provide the appropriate input current and collector voltage
conditions. The correct biasing point for a bipolar transistor, either NPN or PNP,
generally lies somewhere between the two extremes of operation with respect to it
being either “fully-ON” or “fully-OFF” along its load line. This central operating point
is called the “Quiescent Operating Point”, or Q-point for short.

When a bipolar transistor is biased so that the Q-point is near the middle of its
operating range, that is approximately halfway between cut-off and saturation, it is
said to be operating as a Class-A amplifier. This mode of operation allows the output
current to increase and decrease around the amplifiers Q-point without distortion as
the input signal swings through a complete cycle. In other words, the output current
flows for the full 360o of the input cycle.

So how do we set this Q-point biasing of a transistor? – The correct biasing

of the transistor is achieved using a process know commonly as Base Bias.

The function of the “DC Bias level” or “no input signal level” is to correctly set the
transistors Q-point by setting its Collector current ( IC ) to a constant and steady
state value without an input signal applied to the transistors Base.

This steady-state or DC operating point is set by the values of the circuits DC supply
voltage ( Vcc ) and the value of the biasing resistors connected the transistors Base
terminal.

Since the transistors Base bias currents are steady-state DC currents, the
appropriate use of coupling and bypass capacitors will help block bias current setup
for one transistor stage affecting the bias conditions of the next. Base bias networks
can be used for Common-base (CB), common-collector (CC) or common-emitter (CE)
transistor configurations. In this simple transistor biasing tutorial we will look at the
different biasing arrangements available for a Common Emitter Amplifier.

Base Biasing a Common Emitter Amplifier

One of the most frequently used biasing circuits for a transistor circuit is with the
self-bias of the emitter-bias circuit where one or more biasing resistors are used to
set up the initial DC values of transistor currents, ( IB ), ( IC ) and ( IE ).

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The two most common forms of transistor biasing are: Beta Dependent and Beta
Independent. Transistor bias voltages are largely dependent on transistor beta, ( β )
so the biasing set up for one transistor may not necessarily be the same for another
transistor. Transistor biasing can be achieved either by using a single feed back
resistor or by using a simple voltage divider network to provide the required biasing
voltage.

The following are five examples of transistor Base bias configurations from a single
supply ( Vcc ).

Fixed Base Biasing a Transistor

The circuit shown is called as a “fixed base bias circuit”, because the transistors base
current, IB remains constant for given values of Vcc, and therefore the transistors
operating point must also remain fixed. This two resistor biasing network is used to
establish the initial operating region of the transistor using a fixed current bias.

This type of transistor biasing arrangement is also beta dependent biasing as the
steady-state condition of operation is a function of the transistors beta β value, so
the biasing point will vary over a wide range for transistors of the same type as the
characteristics of the transistors will not be exactly the same.

The emitter diode of the transistor is forward biased by applying the required
positive base bias voltage via the current limiting resistor RB. Assuming a standard
bipolar transistor, the forward base-emitter voltage drop will be 0.7V. Then the value
of RB is simply: (VCC – VBE)/IB where IB is defined as IC/β.

With this single resistor type of biasing method the biasing voltages and currents do
not remain stable during transistor operation and can vary enormously. Also the
temperature of the transistor can adversely effect the operating point.

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Collector Feedback Biasing a Transistor

This self biasing collector feedback configuration is another beta dependent biasing
method that requires only two resistors to provide the necessary DC bias for the
transistor. The collector to base feedback configuration ensures that the transistor is
always biased in the active region regardless of the value of Beta (β) as the DC base
bias voltage is derived from the collector voltage, VC providing good stability.

In this circuit, the base bias resistor, RB is connected to the transistors collector C,
instead of to the supply voltage rail, Vcc. Now if the collector current increases, the
collector voltage drops, reducing the base drive and thereby automatically reducing
the collector current to keep the transistors Q-point fixed. Then this method of
collector feedback biasing produces negative feedback as there is feedback from the
output to the input through resistor, RB.

The biasing voltage is derived from the voltage drop across the load resistor, RL. So
if the load current increases there will be a larger voltage drop across RL, and a
corresponding reduced collector voltage, VC which will cause a corresponding drop in
the base current, IB which in turn, brings IC back to normal.

The opposite reaction will also occur when transistors collector current becomes less.
Then this method of biasing is called self-biasing with the transistors stability using
this type of feedback bias network being generally good for most amplifier designs.

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Dual Feedback Transistor Biasing

Adding an additional resistor to the base bias network of the previous configuration
improves stability even more with respect to variations in Beta, ( β ) by increasing
the current flowing through the base bias resistors.

The current flowing through RB1 is generally set at a value equal to about 10% of
collector current, IC. Obviously it must also be greater than the base current required
for the minimum value of Beta, β.

One of the advantages of this type of self biasing configuration is that the resistors
provide both automatic biasing and Rf feedback at the same time.

Transistor Biasing with Emitter Feedback

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This type of transistor biasing configuration, often called self-emitter biasing, uses
both emitter and collector-base feedback to stabilize the collector current even more
as resistors RB and RE as well as the emitter-base junction of the transistor are all
effectively connected in series with the supply voltage, VCC.

The downside of this emitter feedback configuration is that the output has reduced
gain because of the base resistor connection as the collector voltage determines the
current flowing through the feedback resistor, RB producing what is called
“degenerative feedback”.

The current flowing from the emitter, IE (which is a combination of IC + :IB) causes a
voltage drop to appear across RE in such a direction, that it forward biases the
emitter-base junction.

So if the emitter current increases, voltage drop IRE also increases. Since the polarity
of this voltage reverse biases the emitter-base junction, IB automatically decrease.
Therefore the emitter current increase less than it would have done had there been
no self biasing resistor.

Resistor values are generally set so that the voltage drop across emitter resistor RE
is approximately 10% of VCC and the current flowing through resistor RB1 is 10% of
the collector current IC.

This type of transistor biasing configuration works best at relatively low power
supply voltages.

Voltage Divider Transistor Biasing

The common emitter transistor is biased using a voltage divider network to increase
stability. The name of this biasing configuration comes from the fact that the two
resistors RB1 and RB2 form a voltage or potential divider network with their center
point connecting the transistors base terminal directly across the supply.

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This voltage divider configuration is the most widely used transistor biasing method,
as the emitter diode of the transistor is forward biased by the voltage dropped
across resistor RB2. Also, voltage divider network biasing makes the transistor circuit
independent of changes in beta as the voltages at the transistors base, emitter, and
collector are dependant on external circuit values.

To calculate the voltage developed across resistor RB2 and therefore the voltage
applied to the base terminal we simply use the voltage divider formula for resistors
in series.

Generally the voltage drop across resistor RB2 is much less than for resistor RB1.
Then clearly the transistors base voltage VB with respect to ground, will be equal to
the voltage across RB2.

The current flowing through resistor RB2 is generally set at 10 times the value of the
required base current IB so that it has no effect on the voltage divider current or
changes in Beta.

The goal of Transistor Biasing is to establish a known Q-point in order for the
transistor to work efficiently and produce an undistorted output signal. Correct
biasing of the transistor also establishes its initial AC operating region with practical
biasing circuits using either a two or four-resistor bias network.

In bipolar transistor circuits, the Q-point is represented by ( VCE, IC ) for the NPN
transistors or ( VEC, IC ) for PNP transistors. The stability of the base bias network
and therefore the Q-point is generally assessed by considering the collector current
as a function of both Beta (β) and temperature.

Here we have looked briefly at five different configurations for “biasing a transistor”
using resistive networks. But we can also bias a transistor using either silicon diodes,
zener diodes or active networks all connected to the base terminal of the transistor
or by biasing the transistor from a dual power supply.

Amplifiers

Amplifiers are used extensively in electronic circuits to make an electronic signal

bigger without affecting it in any other way.

Generally we think of Amplifiers as audio amplifiers in the radios, CD players and

stereo’s we use around the home. In this amplifier tutorial section we looked at the
amplifier which is based on a single bipolar transistor as shown below, but there are
several different kinds of transistor amplifier circuits that we could use.

Typical Single Stage Amplifier Circuit

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Small Signal Amplifiers

 Small Signal Amplifiers are also known as Voltage Amplifiers.

 Voltage Amplifiers have 3 main properties, Input Resistance, Output
Resistance and Gain.
 The Gain of a small signal amplifier is the amount by which the amplifier
“Amplifies” the input signal.
 Gain is a ratio of input divided by output, therefore it has no units but is given
the symbol (A) with the most common types of transistor gain being,
Voltage Gain (Av), Current Gain (Ai) and Power Gain (Ap)
 The power Gain of the amplifier can also be expressed in Decibels or simply
dB.
 In order to amplify all of the input signal distortion free in a Class A type
amplifier, DC Base Biasing is required.
 DC Bias sets the Q-point of the amplifier half way along the load line.
 This DC Base biasing means that the amplifier consumes power even if there
is no input signal present.
 The transistor amplifier is non-linear and an incorrect bias setting will produce
large amounts of distortion to the output waveform.
 Too large an input signal will produce large amounts of distortion due to
clipping, which is also a form of amplitude distortion.
 Incorrect positioning of the Q-point on the load line will produce either
Saturation Clipping or Cut-off Clipping.
 The Common Emitter Amplifier configuration is the most common form of
all the general purpose voltage amplifier circuit using a Bipolar Junction
Transistor.
 The Common Source Amplifier configuration is the most common form of
all the general purpose voltage amplifier circuit using a Junction Field Effect
Transistor.

BJT Amplifier to JFET Amplifier Comparison

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 Common Emitter Common Source
Parameter
Amplifier Amplifier
Voltage Gain, ( AV ) Medium/High Medium/High
Current Gain, ( Ai ) High Very High
Power Gain, ( AP ) High Very High
Input Resistance, ( Rin ) Medium Very High
Output Resistance, ( Rout ) Medium/High Medium/High
Phase Shift 180o 180o

Large Signal Amplifiers

 Large Signal Amplifiers are also known as Power Amplifiers.

 Power Amplifiers can be sub-divided into different Classes, for example:
 Class A Amplifiers – where the output device conducts for all of the
input cycle.
 Class B Amplifiers – where the output device conducts for only 50% of
the input cycle.
 Class AB Amplifiers – where the output device conducts for more than
50% but less than 100% of the input cycle.
 An ideal Power Amplifier would deliver 100% of the available DC power to the
load.
 Class A amplifiers are the most common form of power amplifier but only
have an efficiency rating of less than 40%.
 Class B amplifiers are more efficient than Class A amplifiers at around 70%
but produce high amounts of distortion.
 Class B amplifiers consume very little power when there is no input signal
present.
 By using the “Push-pull” output stage configuration, distortion can be greatly
reduced.
 However, simple push-pull Class B Power amplifiers can produce high levels of
Crossover Distortion due to their cut-off point biasing.
 Pre-biasing resistors or diodes will help eliminate this crossover distortion.
 Class B Power Amplifiers can be made using Transformers or Complementary
Transistors in its output stage.

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 FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS

As you can see the heading on the board, we will be looking at field effect transistor,
abbreviated as fets. We have just complete our study of the bipolar junction
transistor bjt. Please take cognizance of the fact that a bjt is a current controlled
device. the output (o/p) characteristics of the device are controlled by the base
current and not base voltage. However, in the fet, the o/p characteristics are
controlled by the input voltage which creates an electric field and not by the input
(i/p) current. This is the biggest difference between the two.

If I may ask, does

anyone know the two Jfet and Mosfet
basic types of fets?
Yes Andrew,
lets hear from you

Correct. That’s
good.
Someone’s
reading ahead I

For starters, we shall begin by looking at the Jfet and the we shall come to the
Mosfets in due course.

AJFET-Junction Field Effect Transistor

As already mentioned, JFETs are of two types viz N-channel JFETs and P-channel
JFETs. Generally N-channel JFETs are preferred. N-channel and P-channel JFETs
are shown in figures.

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JFET-junction-field-effect-transistor

Basic Construction.

Its structure is quite simple. In an N-channel JFET an N-type silicon bar, referred to
as the channel, has two smaller pieces of P-type silicon material diffused on the
opposite sides of its middle part, forming P-N junctions, as illustrated in fig. The two
P-N junctions forming diodes or gates are connected internally and a common
terminal, called the gate terminal, is brought out. Ohmic contacts (direct electrical
connections) are made at the two ends of the channel—one lead is called the source
terminal S and the other drain terminal D.

The silicon bar behaves like a resistor between its two terminals D and S. The gate
terminal is analogous to the base of an ordinary transistor(BJT). It is used to control
the flow of current from source to drain. Thus, source and drain terminals are
analogous to emitter and collector terminals respectively of a BJT.

In figure the gate is P-region, while the source and the drain are N-regions. Because
of this, a JFET is similar to two diodes. The gate and the source form one of the
diodes, and the drain form the other diode. These two diodes are usually referred as
the gate-source diode and the gate-drain diode. Since JFET is a silicon device, it
takes only 0.7 volts for forward bias to get significant current in either diode.

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With the gate terminal not connected, and a potential applied (+ ve at the drain and
– ve at the source), a current called the drain current, ID flows through the channel
located between the two P-regions. This current consists of only majority carriers-
electrons in this case. P-channel JFET is similar in construction to N-channel JFET
except that P-type semiconductor material is sandwiched between two N-type
junctions, as shown in figure. In this case majority carriers are holes.

Standard Notations. Worth noting FET notations are as follows :

Source. The terminal through which the majority carriers enter the channel, is
called the source terminal S and the conventional current entering the channel at S
is designated as Ig.

Drain. The terminal, through which the majority carriers leave the channel, is called
the drain terminal D and the conventional current leaving the channel at D is
designated as ID.

The drain-to-source voltage is called VDS, and is positive if D is more positive than
source S

Gate. There are two internally connected heavily doped impurity regions formed by
alloying, by diffusion, or by any other method available to create two P-N junctions.
These impurity regions are called the gate G. A voltage VGS is applied between the
gate and source in the direction to reverse-bias the P-N junction. Conventional
current entering the channel at G is designated as IG.

Channel. The region between the source and drain, sandwiched between the two
gates is called the channel and the majority carriers move from source to drain
through this channel.

Schematic Symbols-JFET

Schematic Symbols of JFET. The schematic symbols for N-type and P-type JFETs
are shown in figure respectively. The vertical line in the symbol may be thought as
channel and source S and drain D connected to the line.

Note that the direction of the arrow at the gate indicates the direction in which the
gate current flows when the gate junction is forward biased. Thus for the N-channel

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JFET, the arrow at the gate junction points into the device and in P-channel JFET, it
is away from the device.

Polarity conventions JFET

The polarities for N-channel and P-channel JFET’s are shown in figures above. In
both of the cases the voltage between the gate and source is such that the gate is
reverse biased. In other words, this component is operated with the input voltage
reverse biased and this is what renders it to have a very high input impedance. The
drain and source terminals are interchangeable, that is either end can be used as a
source and the other end as a drain. The source terminal is always connected to that
end of the drain voltage supply which provides the necessary charge carriers, that is,
in an N-channel JFET source terminal, S is connected to the negative end of the
drain voltage supply for obtaining.

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Operation of JFET

For purposes of discussion, we will consider an N-channel JFET only, I hope that is
alright with you. Any questions or any concerns? Good! No questions so we move
on. The reason for considering N channel only is because whether you use P or N
channel circuit operation is basically the same. P stands for positive and N? You
know. We know that these are just the opposite of each other so to operate the
other you need the opposite of the first one. This means

that if for instance have a positive input voltage applied to the N chn, then, you will
need a negative input voltage for a positive chn.

(i) When neither any bias is applied to the gate (i.e. when VGS = 0) nor any voltage
to the drain w.r.t. source (i.e. when VDS = 0), the depletion regions around the P-N
junctions , are of equal thickness and symmetrical.

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(ii) When positive voltage is applied to the drain terminal D w.r.t. source terminal S
without connecting gate terminal G to supply, as illustrated in fig. 9.4, the electrons
(which are the majority carriers) flow from terminal S to terminal D whereas
conventional drain current ID flows through the channel from D to S. Due to flow of
this current, there is uniform voltage drop across the channel resistance as we move
from terminal D to terminal S. This voltage drop reverse biases the diode. The gate
is more “negative” with respect to those points in the channel which are nearer to D
than to S. Hence, depletion layers penetrate more deeply into the channel at points
lying closer to D than to S. Thus wedge-shaped depletion regions are formed, as
shown in figure. when Vds is applied. The size of the depletion layer formed
determines-the width of the channel and hence the magnitude of current ID flowing
through the channel.

layers gets reduced causing decrease in resistance and , therefore, increase in drain
current ID.(The gate-source voltage VGS at which drain current ID is cut-off
completely (pinched off) is called the pinch-off voltage Vp. It is also to be noted
that the amount of reverse bias is not the same throughout the length of the P-N
junction. When the drain current flows through the channel, there is a voltage drop
along its length. The result is that the reverse bias at the drain end is more than that
at the source end making the width of depletion layer more at the drain. To see how
the width of the channel varies with the variation in gate.

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REFERENCES:

 [Link]
 [Link]-free [Link]
 Electrical Technology Multicolouredn. byB.L Theraja and A.K Theraja, Publishers
[Link].
 Principles of Electronics Multicolouredn by V.K Mehta and Rohit Mehta, Publishers
S. Chand.
 Electronic circuits and devices by boylestad
 Electronic amplifiers by cooper

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