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Unijunction Transistor

The Unijunction Transistor (UJT) is a three-terminal semiconductor device that has two bases and one emitter. It operates as an electronic switch, being either fully on or fully off, and is useful in industrial circuits such as timers, oscillators, and waveform generators. The UJT consists of a lightly-doped N-type silicon bar with a small heavily-doped P-type region forming the emitter junction. It switches on when the emitter voltage exceeds the standoff voltage, about 10V higher than the B1 voltage, and remains on until the emitter voltage drops below the holding voltage.

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113 views13 pages

Unijunction Transistor

The Unijunction Transistor (UJT) is a three-terminal semiconductor device that has two bases and one emitter. It operates as an electronic switch, being either fully on or fully off, and is useful in industrial circuits such as timers, oscillators, and waveform generators. The UJT consists of a lightly-doped N-type silicon bar with a small heavily-doped P-type region forming the emitter junction. It switches on when the emitter voltage exceeds the standoff voltage, about 10V higher than the B1 voltage, and remains on until the emitter voltage drops below the holding voltage.

Uploaded by

raman yarramilli
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Unijunction Transistor (UJT)

• UJT is a breakover-type switching device


• Useful in industrial circuits: timers,
oscillators, waveform generators, gate
control circuits for SCRs and triacs
Unijunction Transistor (UJT)
• Is a special transistor that has two bases and
one emitter
Lightly-doped

Heavily-doped

• Has two states: completely on or completely


off
• Part of thyristor family which include SCR,
triac, and diac
Unijunction Transistor (UJT)
• UJT consists of a bar of N-type silicon
material (lightly-doped) and a small amount
of diffused P-type material (heavily-doped)
• An emitter terminal E is connected to the P
material to form the PN junction
• Two paths for current flow: B2 to B1; E to
B1
• Normally current does not flow in either
path until Emitter voltage is about 10 volts
higher than B1 voltage
UJT Operation

• When a voltage, called standoff voltage VP,


applied to the emitter is about 10 volts
higher than the voltage applied to B1 , UJT
turns on and current flows through the B2-
B1 path and from the emitter-B1 path
UJT Operation

Common UJT circuit Pulse produced by capacitor discharge

• Current will continue to flow through the


UJT until the voltage applied to the emitter
drops to a point that is about 3 volts higher
than the voltage applied to B1
UJT Operation
• When emitter voltage drops to this point,
the UJT will turn off and will remain off
until the voltage applied to the emitter again
reaches a level about 10 volts higher than
the voltage applied to B1
UJT CHARACTERISTICS
• Since the N-type silicon bar is lightly-
doped, it has a high resistance and can be
represented by two resistors:
B2

RB2

RB1

B1
UJT CHARACTERISTICS
• Resistor RB1is shown as a variable resistor
• Its ohmic value depends on the amount of
emitter current flowing
• The internal resistance ratio of RB1 to RB2 is
called the intrinsic standoff ratio, η (eta)
RB1
• η = RB1 + RB2
UJT CHARACTERISTICS
• The amount of emitter voltage required to
switch the UJT on is called the standoff
voltage, VP
• It is found be multiplying the applied
voltage VBB, by η

• VP = ηVBB + VF

• VF is the P-N junction forward-voltage drop


UJT CHARACTERISTICS
• When VP is reached, the UJT latches in the
conducting state and current flows between
E and B1
• The UJT is a latching device that will
remain in the conducting state as long as the
emitter current remains above a minimum
value called the holding current
• RB1 varies as a function of the emitter current
• As emitter current increases, RB1 decreases
UJT CHARACTERISTICS

UJT CHARCTERISTIC CURVE

• VP is the peak voltage, VV is the valley


voltage
Testing the UJT

• The UJT appears to the ohmmeter as a


connection of two resistors connected to a
diode as above
• Positive lead of ohmmeter is connected to
emitter, a diode junction from emitter to B1
or B2 is seen
• Reversing leads we have reverse bias, no
continuity
Some Packages and Terminal Identification

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