Module 3

• Bipolar Junction Transistors

(BJT)
 In this lecture
• Introduction
• Symbols of – pnp & npn transistors
• Working principles
• Transistor currents
• Transistor configurations-
1) Common base
2) common Emitter
3) common collector
• Input-output characteristics-
1) common base configuration
2) common emitter configuration
• Transistor as an amplifier
 Introduction
• When a third doped element is added to a crystal diode in such
a way that two pn junctions are formed, the resulting device is
known as a transistor.
• It is a type of elctronic device capable of amplification of weak
signals.
• Invented in 1948 by J. Bardeen and W. H. Brattain of Bell
Telephone Laboratories; USA
Transistor
A transistor consists of two p-n junctions formed by sandwiching either
p-type or n-type semiconductor between a pair of opposite types.
There are two types of transistors –
n-p-n p-n-p
• An n-type transistor is • a p-type transistor is
composed of two n-type composed of two p-type
semiconductors separated semiconductors separated
by a thin section of p-type. by a thin section of n-type.

In each of these transistors-

1) There are two pn junctions. (2 diodes are connected back-to-back).
2) There are three terminals, one taken from each type of semiconductor
3) The middle section is a very thin layer
 Origin of name “Transistor”
• It has two p-n junctions.
• One junction is FB (low resistance path); another junction is RB
(high resistance path)
• Weak signal is introduced in low resistance path and output is taken
from high resistance path.
• A transistor transfers a signal from low resistance to high resistance.
• “Trans” = transfer and “istor” = solid element in the family of
resistors
Transistor Terminals
It has three sections-
Emitter(one side), base(middle), collector(opposite side).
Emitter Collector Base
• It supplies majority • It collects the charges Base-Emitter is FB, allowing
charge carriers • It removes charges from low resistance for for the
(electrons or holes). its junct with the base emitter ckt.
• It is always FB wrt base • It is always RB wrt base Base-Collector is RB,
• Emitter of pnp is FB • Collector of pnp is RB providing high resistance in
and supplies hole and receive holes the collector ckt.
charges to its junct with charges that flow in o/p
the base ckt.
• Emitter of npn is FB • Collector of npn is RB
and supplies free and receive electrons
electrons charges to its
junct with the base
 Some facts about Transistor
• Base is thinner than emitter while collector is wider than both.
• Emitter is heavily doped to inject large no. of charge carriers into the
base.
• Base is lightly doped so as to pass most of the emitter injected charge
carriers to the collector.
• Collector is moderately doped.
Transistor Currents & Symbols

n-p-n p-n-p
 Working of n-p-n transistor
• Emitter-Base junction = FB Collector-Base junction = RB
• FB causes 𝑒 − (n-type) to flow towards base. This is emitter current(IE)
• As these 𝑒 − flow through p-type base, it recombines with the holes in it.
• As base is lightly doped, only few 𝑒 − (less than 5%) combine with holes to constitute
base current (IB)
• Remaining (95%) cross over into collector region to constitute collector current (IC )
• Current conduction takes place due to 𝒆−
• IE = IB + IC
 Working of p-n-p transistor
• Emitter-Base junction = FB Collector-Base junction = RB
• FB causes ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠(p-type) to flow towards base. This is emitter current(IE)
• As these holes flow through n-type base, it recombines with the 𝑒 − in it.
• As base is lightly doped, only few holes(less than 5%) combine with 𝑒 − to constitute
base current (IB)
• Remaining (95%) cross over into collector region to constitute collector current (IC )
• Current conduction takes place due to holes
 Transistor Circuit as an Amplifier
• Amplifier - A transistor raises the strength of a weak signal .
• The weak signal is applied between emitter-base junction & o/p is taken across load
RC connected in collector ckt.
• To maintain E-B junction FB, a d.c voltage VEE (bias voltage) is applied in i/p ckt in
addition to the signal.
• i/p ckt has low resistance, so a small change in V signal causes an appreciable chng
in IE. Which further chnges IC due to transistor action.
• IC Flowing through high load resistance RC produces a large voltage across it.
• Thus “weak signal applied in the i/p ckt appears in the amplified form in the
collector ckt.”
How Amplifier works
 Transistor Connections-
Transistor can be connected in three configurations-
1) Common Base
2) Common Emitter
3) Common Collector

1) Common Base Configuration- base is common,

Common base n-p-n transistor Common base p-n-p transistor

Input = E-B output – C-B Input = E-B Output = C-B
1) Current Amplification Factor(α) – It is the ratio of output current (IC) to input
current(IE).
“The ratio of change in collector current ∆IC to the change in emitter current ∆IE at a
constant collector base voltage V CB is known as current amplification factor”.

*α is always less than unity (0.9 – 0.99)

2) Expression for collector current (IC) – The total collector current consists of –
i) That part of IE that reaches collector terminal. (α IE).
ii) The leakage current I leakage which takes place due to movement of minority
carriers across CB junction being reversed biased. It is much smaller than α IE.

iii) If IE = 0, a small leakage current still flows in the collector circuit.

iv) I leakage Is abbreviated as I CBO (C-B c/n with emitter open).
We know that,
Subs in eq. (i)

Eq (i) & (ii) can be used to find IC

 Characteristics of Common-Base Connection
1) It describes the electrical behaviour of a transistor
2) It describes the graphical representation of inter-relation between various currents
and voltages.
3) The curves thus obtained are known as characteristics of transistor .
Two types of characteristics are there- i) Input characteristics ii) Output characteristics
I) Input characteristics –
It is the curve between IE and VEB at a constant VCB
X axis = VEB
Y axis = IE

From the characteritics –

i) IE Increases rapidly with small increase in VEB
(i.e. i/p resistance is very small)
i) IE Is almost independent of VCB
(i.e. IE and hence IC are almost independent of collector
voltage.)
Input Resistance (ri)– It is the ratio of change in ∆VEB to the resulting change in
∆ IE at a constant VCB
.
 II) Output Characteristics-
• It is the curve between IC and VCB at a constant IE.
• X axis = VCB
Y axis = IC
From the characteritics –
i) IC varies with VCB only at very low voltage(<1V)
(Transistor is never operated in this region)
ii) When the value of VCB 1-2 V, IC becomes constant.
(i.e IC is independent of VCB and depends upon IE only.)
(Transistor is always operated in this region.)
iii) A very large change in VCB produces only a tiny change in collector current IC(i.e.
o/p resistance is very high)

Output Resistance (ro) – It is the ratio of change in ∆VCB to the change in ∆ IC at a

constant ∆ IE

Of the order of several tens of kΩ

2) Common Emitter Configuration – emitter is common

Common emitter n-p-n transistor Common emitter p-n-p transistor

Input = E-B Output = C-E Input = E-B Output = C-E
• 1) Base current amplification factor (β) – – It is the ratio of output current (IC) to
input current(IB).
• “The ratio of change in collector current (∆IC ) to the change in base current
(∆IB) is known as base current amplification factor”.

*β>20 (values lies between 20 – 500)

This configuration is mostly used as it gives high c/n and voltage gain.
Relation between β & α

• As α approaches unity, β approaches infinity

• Current gain in CE configuration is very high
 2) Expression for collector current IC
• Input current = IB output current = IC
 Characteristics of Common Emitter Configuration
• I) Input characteristics – It is the curve between base current IB and base-emitter
voltage VBE at a constant collector-emitter voltage VCE.

X axis = VBE (VCE = constant = 10V)

Y axis = IB
From the characteristics –
i) IB Increases rapidly with VBE
(i.e. i/p resistance of CE is higher than that of CB circuit).
i) The characteristics resembles that of forward biased diode. (since; B-E section of a
transistor is a diode and it is FB).
Input Resistance (r i)– It is the ratio of change in ∆VBE to the change in ∆IB at a
constant VCE
 II) Output characteristics -
• It is the curve between collector current (IC)and collector emitter voltage (VCE)at a
constant base current (IB).
X axis = VCE
Y axis = IC
Readings are plotted as –
i) Keeping IB = 5 μA (constant) , plot the graph of VCE Vs IC
ii) Keeping IB = 10 μA (constant) , plot the graph of VCE Vs IC
iii) Keeping IB = 20 μA (constant) , plot the graph of VCE Vs IC
From the characteristics –
 3) Common Collector Configuration – collector is common

• CC n-p-n transistor CC p-n-p transistor

• Input = BC Input = BC
• Output = EC Output = EC
Explanation -