0% found this document useful (0 votes)
173 views58 pages

Power Transistors

- A transistor is a semiconductor device made of layers of N-type and P-type materials. NPN transistors use an N-layer sandwiched between two P-layers, while PNP uses a P-layer sandwiched between two N-layers. - The three main parts are the emitter, base, and collector. Current flows from the emitter to the collector, with the base controlling this flow. In NPN transistors, current is carried by electrons flowing from emitter to collector, while in PNP transistors current is carried by holes flowing in the opposite direction. - MOSFETs use a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure with a gate terminal that controls current flow

Uploaded by

sree haritha p
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
173 views58 pages

Power Transistors

- A transistor is a semiconductor device made of layers of N-type and P-type materials. NPN transistors use an N-layer sandwiched between two P-layers, while PNP uses a P-layer sandwiched between two N-layers. - The three main parts are the emitter, base, and collector. Current flows from the emitter to the collector, with the base controlling this flow. In NPN transistors, current is carried by electrons flowing from emitter to collector, while in PNP transistors current is carried by holes flowing in the opposite direction. - MOSFETs use a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure with a gate terminal that controls current flow

Uploaded by

sree haritha p
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 58

POWER TRANSISTORS

• A transistor is a sandwich of one type of


semiconductor material between two layers of other
type.
• When a layer of P type material is sandwiched
between two layers of N type material , it is known as
N-P-N transistor.
• When a N layer is sandwiched between two layers of P
type, it is known as P-N-P transistor.
• As NPN is cheap and easy to manufacture, widely used
for high voltage and high current applications.
• A transistor has the following three regions
• Emitter: This is left hand section of the
transistor. It’s function is to supply majority
carriers to the base and so heavily doped
when compared to other two regions.
• Base: It is the middle section and is very lightly
doped so that it may pass most of the injected
charge carriers to the collector.
• Collector: It is the right hand section and is
moderately doped. It’s function is to collect
majority charge carriers through the base.
• The arrow head at the emitter is to indicate
conventional direction of current flow.
• In general, collector is made physically larger
than emitter region as it has to dissipate greater
power and hence collector and emitter are not
interchangeable.
• Transistor is like two diodes.
• The emitter –base junction is always forward
biased while collector- base junction is always
reverse biased.
• The forward biasing of emitter-base junction has
low resistance path while collector –base
junction has high resistance path.
• The input is introduced in low resistance circuit
and output is taken from high resistance circuit.
• Operation of P-N-P transistor:
• The holes of P region(emitter) are repelled by
the positive terminal of the battery VEE
towards the base.
• As potential barrier at emitter junction is
reduced due to forward biasing, holes cross
the junction and penetrate into the N region.
• This constitutes emitter current IE.
• As N region is lightly doped, only 2 to 5% of
holes recombine with free electrons of N
region.
• This constitutes base current Ib.
• The remaining holes (95% to 98%) drift across
the base and enter collector region and are
swept up by the negative collector voltae Vcc.
• This constitutes collector current Ic.
• As each hole reaches the collector, an electron
is emitted from the negative terminal of the
battery and neutralizes the hole.
• Then a covalent bond at emitter breaks down
and the electron liberated enters the positive
terminal of the battery VEE and hole moves
towards the emitter junction.
• This process continues.
• Current conduction within P-N-P transistor is
by majority charge carriers i.e holes and in the
external circuit by electrons.
• The collector current is slightly less than the
emitter current as 2 to 5% holes are lost in
recombination in the base.
• The current conduction in PNP transistor is
due to holes.
• Operation of NPN transistor:
• The electrons in the emitter region are
repelled from the negative terminal of battery
towards emitter junction.
• As the emitter-base junction is thin, electrons
cross the P type base region.
• Very few electrons combine with the holes in
P region and are lost as charge carriers.
• The electrons in the collector region are swept
up positive collector voltage Vcc.
• For every electron flowing out of collector and
entering positive terminal of battery Vcc , an
electron from the negative emitter battery enters
the emitter region.
• Thus the electron conduction takes place.
• In NPN transistor current conduction is carried by
electrons.
INPUT CHARACTERISTICS
• The curve between base current IB and base emitter
voltage VBE at constant collector –emitter voltage VCE
is input characteristic.
• The collector - emitter voltage is kept constant
throughout.
• The base – emitter voltage is varied and base current is
noted.
• The procedure is repeated for other fixed values of VCE.
• For the same base emitter voltage, as VCE increases the
base current is less.
OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS
• A graph between collector current Ic and
collector-emitter voltage VCE is output
characteristics.
• For zero base current, as VCE is increased,
small leakage current (collector) exists.
• As the base current increases, the collector
current also rises.
• Figure shows two of the output characteristics.
• 1. Curve 1 is for IB = 0
• 2. Curve 2 is for IBǂ 0.
• Initial part of curve 2 with low VCE is called
saturation region and transistor acts like a
switch.
• Next part is by increasing VCE, Ic is almost
constant and transistor acts like an amplifier.
• Next region is breakdown region where there is steep
rise in Ic for constant VCE. This should be avoided.
• When load resistance is Rc the collector current is Ic =
(Vcc-VCE)/Rc
• When transistor is ON, VCE =0 and Ic = Vcc/Rc and
this point is shown by point A.
• When transistor is OFF, Vcc appears across collector-
emitter terminals and Ic=0 shown by point B. Line AB
is the load line for R-load.
MOSFET
• Power MOSFET has three terminals: drain,
source and gate.
• The arrow in the symbol indicates direction of
electron flow.
• BJT is a current controlled device and MOSFET
is voltage controlled device.
• MOSFET is a uni-polar device as the operation
depends on majority carriers.
• Gate circuit impedance of MOSFET is very high
and hence the control signal (gate current) is
much smaller than that of BJT.
• MOSFET is used in low – power and high
frequency applications.
• Out of N-channel and P-channel enhancement
MOSFET, n-channel is more common due to
higher mobility of electrons.
• A low power MOSFET is constructed as shown:
• On a P substrate , two heavily doped N+ regions
are diffused.
• An insulating layer of SiO2 is grown on the surface.
• Drain and source terminals are embedded on this
SiO2 surface such that N+ regions make contact
with drain and source.
• A layer of metal is deposited to form Gate
between drain and source.
• When gate circuit is open, P substrate and N+
region below drain is reverse biased and no
current flows from drain to source.
• When gate is made positive wrt to source, an
electric field is established below gate terminal.
• Eventually, negative charges( electrons) are
formed below gate in the P layer forming an
induced N layer.
• This induced N layer forms a channel between
two N+ regions below drain and source and
thus current can flow from drain to source as
indicated by arrow.
• As VGS is increased, the N channel becomes
more deep and more current can flow. But the
disadvantage is ON state resistance is large
leading to higher power dissipation.
• Construction of high power MOSFET:
• On N+ substrate, high resistivity N- layer is
grown.
• Now, two P regions are diffused in the N- layer.
• Then N+ regions are diffused on P region.
• A layer of SiO2 is added at the top and metallic
gate and source terminals are fitted.
• When gate circuit is open, P and N- junctions
are reverse biased and no current flows from
drain to source.
• If gate is made positive wrt to source, an
electric field is established below gate terminal
and electrons are induced in the P regions to
form N channel.
• Now current start flowing from drain to source.
Input and output characteristics
INPUT CHARACTERISTICS
• It shows variation of drain current as a
function of gate – source voltage.
• VGST is the threshold voltage which is the
minimum positive voltage between gate and
source to induce N channel.
• Below threshold voltage, the device is in the
OFF state.
• VGST is the order of 2 to 3 volts.
OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS
• It is variation of drain current as a function of
drain-source voltage with gate-source voltage
as a parameter.
• For low values of VDS, the graph is almost
linear showing that ON state resistance
(VDS/ID) is constant.
• As VDS is increased, the characteristic is almost
flat showing that drain current is constant.
• Load line intersects output characteristic at A.
The other end of load line is B.
• A is fully ON condition and B is fully OFF
condition. Thus, MOSFET is functioning as a
switch.
CONSTRUCTION OF IGBT
• The construction is almost same as PMOSFET
except that the N+ layer at the drain in PMOSFET
is replaced by P+ layer substrate called Collector.
• P+ injection layer
• N- drift layer
• P body layer
• N- layer serves to accommodate depletion layer
of PN- junction i.e. j2
Difference between MOSFET and IGBT
• If we move vertically up from collector to
emitter, we come across P+ n- P layers which is
nothing but a transistor Q1.
• Therefore IGBT can be thought of combination
of MOSFET and Q1.
• In order to derive an exact equivalent circuit,
let us consider the following fig( 1 ).
Fig (1)
• Transistor Q1 is formed by P+ n- P layers. Here Rby
is the P body resistance.
• Another transistor Q2 is formed by n- P n+ layers
and Rd is the drift region resistance.
• The collector P of Q1 is same as base of Q2.
• Similarly, base n- of Q1 is collector of Q2.
• The exact equivalent circuit is shown in fig( 2 ).
• Here Rby is the resistance offered to the flow of
hole current Ih.
Fig (2)
Operation of IGBT
• When gate is made positive wrt emitter by VG
which is more than the threshold voltage, an
n-channel is formed below gate.
• The N- channel short circuits N- region with
N+ emitter regions.
• Electrons from N+ emitter flows to N- drift
region through N channel.
• As IGBT is forward biased with collector +ve
and emitter –ve, P+ collector region injects
holes into N- drift region.
• Therefore the N- drift region is flooded with holes
from P+ collector region and electrons from P
body.
• As a result, N- drift region conductivity enhances
and IGBT is turned ON and begins to conduct
forward current Ic.
• The collector current Ic or emitter current IE
has two components: 1. hole current due
holes flowing from collector, P+N-P transistor
Q1, P body resistance Rby and emitter.
2.electron current Ie due to electrons flowing
from collector, injection layer P+, drift region
N-, N channel resistance Rch, N+ and emitter.
• Collector current Ic = emitter current IE= Ih+Ie
• Main path of collector current is P+,N-,Rd and
n channel resistance Rch.
• The ON state voltage drop of IGBT is
VCE on = Ic. Rch + Ic. Rd+Vj1
• Vj1 = across forward biased P+ N- junction j1
• The ON state voltage drop is less in IGBT
compared to PMOSFET.
IGBT CHARACTERISTICS

•Transfer characteristics:

•It is a plot of collector


current Ic and gate-emitter
voltage VGE.

•When VGE is less than VGET ,


IGBT is in the OFF state.
• Output characteristics:
• It is a plot of collector current Ic and collector
to emitter voltage VCE for various values of
gate – emitter voltage VGE.
• The characteristic shape is same as that of BJT.
But, the controlling parameter is voltage as
IGBT is voltage controlled device.
Comparison of IGBT and BJT output
characteristics
• When the device is OFF, junction J2 blocks
forward voltage.
• If reverse voltage appears across collector and
emitter , junction J1 blocks it.
• VRM is the reverse breakdown voltage.
Comparison of IGBT and BJT
IGBT BJT

1. It is a bipolar device 1. . It is a bipolar device


2. Voltage driven device 2. Current driven device
3. Terminals are gate, drain and source 3. Terminals are gate, collector and
emitter
4. Better power handling capability 4. Power handling capability is less
compared to IGBT
5. Complex structure 5. Simple structure
6. Shorter delay time 6. Delay time is more compared to IGBT
7. Can be easily controlled in high voltage 7. Less capable when compared to IGBT
and high current applications
Comparison of MOSFET and BJT
MOSFET BJT

1. Has lower switching losses. 1. Higher switching losses and lower


Conduction losses are more. conduction losses.

2. Voltage controlled device 2. Current controlled device

3. Positive temperature coefficient for 3. Negative temperature coefficient for


resistance resistance.

4. No secondary breakdown 4. Suffers from secondary breakdown.

5. Ratings upto 500V, 140A 5. Ratings upto 1200V, 800A.

You might also like