Basic Electronics L5

BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (BJT) STRUCTURE
The BJT is constructed with three doped semiconductor regions separated by two pn junctions, as
shown in the epitaxial planar structure in Figure (a). The three regions are called emitter, base, and
collector. Physical representations of the two types of BJTs are shown in Figure (b) and (c). 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). The term bipolar refers to the use of both holes and
electrons as current carriers in the transistor structure.
The pn junction joining the base region and the emitter region is called the base-emitter junction.
The pn junction joining the base region and the collector region is called the base-collector junction.
A wire lead connects to each of the three regions, as shown. These leads are labeled E, B, and C for
emitter, base, and collec-tor, respectively. The base region is lightly doped and very thin compared
to the heavily doped emitter and the moderately doped collector regions.
Figure a and b shows the schematic symbols for the npn and pnp bipolar junction transistors
BASIC BJT OPERATION
In order for a BJT to operate properly as an amplifier, the two pn junctions must be correctly biased
with external dc voltages. In this section, we mainly use the npn transistor for illustration. The
operation of the pnp is the same as for the npn except that the roles of the electrons and holes, the
bias voltage polarities, and the current directions are all reversed.
Biasing
Figure a and b shows a bias arrangement for both npn and pnp BJTs for operation as an amplifier.
Notice that in both cases the base-emitter (BE) junction is forward-biased and the base-collector
(BC) junction is reverse-biased. This condition is called forward-reverse bias.
Operation
To understand how a transistor operates, let’s examine what happens inside the npn structure. The
heavily doped n-type emitter region has a very high density of conduction-band (free) electrons, as
indicated in Figure below. These free electrons easily diffuse through the forward- based BE
junction into the lightly doped and very thin p-type base region, as indicated by the wide arrow. The
base has a low density of holes, which are the majority carriers, as represented by the white circles.
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 into the emitter region as hole
current, indicated by the 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. As the free electrons move toward the reverse-biased BC junction,
they are 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, as indicated. 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.
Transistor Currents
The directions of the currents in an npn transistor and its schematic symbol are as shown in Figure
(a); those for a pnp transistor are shown in Figure (b). Notice that the arrow on the emitter inside the
transistor symbols points in the direction of conventional current. These diagrams show that the
emitter current (IE) is the sum of the collector current (IC) and the base current (IB), expressed as
follows:
As mentioned before, IB is very small compared to IE or IC. The capital-letter subscripts indicate dc
values.
BJT CHARACTERISTICS AND PARAMETERS
When a transistor is connected to dc bias voltages, as shown in Figure a and b for both npn and pnp
types, VBB forward-biases the base-emitter junction, and VCC reverse-biases the base-collector
junction. Although we are using separate battery symbols to represent the bias voltages, in practice
the voltages are often derived from a single dc power supply. For example, VCC is normally taken
directly from the power supply output and VBB (which is smaller) can be produced with a voltage
divider.
DC Beta ( βDC) and DC Alpha ( αDC)
The dc current gain of a transistor is the ratio of the dc collector current (IC) to the dc base current
(IB) and is designated dc beta (βDC).
Typical values of βDC range from less than 20 to 200 or higher.
The ratio of the dc collector current (I C) to the dc emitter current (IE) is the dc alpha (αDC). The
alpha is a less-used parameter than beta in transistor circuits.
Typically, values of α DC range from 0.95 to 0.99 or greater, but αDC is always less than The reason
is that IC is always slightly less than IE by the amount of IB.
Example
Determine the dc current gain βDC and the emitter current IE for a transistor where IB = 50 mA and
IC = 3.65 mA.
BJT Circuit Analysis
Consider the basic transistor bias circuit configuration in figure below . Three transistor dc currents
and three dc voltages can be identified.
IB: dc base current
IE: dc emitter current
IC: dc collector current
VBE: dc voltage at base with respect to emitter
VCB: dc voltage at collector with respect to base
VCE: dc voltage at collector with respect to emitter

The base-bias voltage source, VBB, forward-biases the base-emitter junction, and the collector-bias
voltage source, VCC, reverse-biases the base-collector junction. When the base-emitter junction is
forward-biased, it is like a forward-biased diode and has a nominal forward voltage drop of
Since the emitter is at ground (0 V), by Kirchhoff’s voltage law, the voltage across RB is
Example
Determine IB, IC, IE, VBE, VCE, and VCB in the circuit below. The transistor has a βDC = 150.
Solution
Since VBE = 0.7 V.
Hence

Basic Electronics L5

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Basic Electronics L5

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BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (BJT) STRUCTURE

BASIC BJT OPERATION

BJT CHARACTERISTICS AND PARAMETERS

DC Beta ( βDC) and DC Alpha ( αDC)

BJT Circuit Analysis

IB: dc base current

IE: dc emitter current

IC: dc collector current

VBE: dc voltage at base with respect to emitter

VCB: dc voltage at collector with respect to base

VCE: dc voltage at collector with respect to emitter

Since VBE = 0.7 V.

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