Chapter 21:

Bipolar Junction Transistors

(Part 1)

Basic Characteristics of BJT

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 Objectives
After completing Part 1 of this chapter, you will be able to:
 Describe the basic structure of the Bipolar Junction Transistor
(BJT).
 Differentiate between NPN and PNP transistor.
 Explain how a transistor is biased and analyse transistor currents
and their voltages.
 Differentiate between dc alpha and dc beta of a transistor.
 Differentiate between active, cut-off and saturation regions of
operation.

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 21-1 Transistor Structure
 Bipolar Junction Transistor is a device constructed using
3 alternately doped semiconductor regions
 The 3 regions are either P-N-P or N-P-N.
 Hence BJT is either of PNP type or NPN type
 Whichever the type, the 3 doped regions are called:
 The Emitter (heavily doped)
 The Base (thin layer that is lightly doped)
 The Collector (moderately doped)
 Each semiconductor region may carry a current

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 Transistor Structure

• Both PNP and NPN BJTs also have 2 p-n

junctions called
– Base-Emitter junction
– Base-Collector junction
• Each junction of the BJT may carry a voltage

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Transistor Structure

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 Transistor Structure

Collector Collector

Base Base

Emitter Emitter

NPN Transistor PNP Transistor

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 21-2 Basic Transistor Operation

 For a BJT to operate properly, its 2 p-n

junctions must be connected to appropriate
circuits
 These circuits are said to “bias” the transistor

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 Basic Transistor Operation

• In an NPN BJT, biasing is done as follows:

B-C reverse
biased + IC IC
IB - C (n jtn) n
B (p IB
jtn) VCC p
+ E (n jtn) n
VBB B-E forward -
biased IE

Base-Emitter Biasing Circuit Collector-Emitter Biasing

Circuit
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 Basic Transistor Operation

• In a PNP BJT, biasing is done in the reverse

direction
B-C reverse
biased - IC IC
IB + C (p jtn)
p
B IB
(n jtn) VCC n
- E (p jtn) p
VBB +
B-E forward
biased
IE

Base-Emitter Biasing Circuit Collector-Emitter Biasing

Circuit
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 Basic Transistor Operation

• In practice,
– VCC is usually taken directly from a power supply
– VBB is usually obtained from a voltage divider

IC
IB
VCC
+
VBB
-
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 Transistor Currents and Voltages

Definition of Currents RC IC
and Voltages RB VCB +
_ +
VCE VCC
IB + _
IB : dc base current VBE _
VBB
IE : dc emitter current IE

IC : dc collector current

VBE: dc voltage at base with respect to the emitter

VCB: dc voltage at collector with respect to the base
VCE: dc voltage at collector with respect to the emitter
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 Transistor Currents and Voltages
IC
If IB and IC are known:
IB
NPN
IE = IC + IB BJT

IE
Note also that:
IC
IC  IB IB PNP
BJT
And IE  IC
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IE 12
21-3 Transistor Characteristics and Parameters

• The ratio of IC and IE is called DC Alpha

• And ratio of IC and IB is called DC Beta

DC Alpha DC Beta
aDC IC IC
 bDC 
IE IB
Typical values from 20
Typical values from 0.95 to to 200 or higher
0.99 or higher but less than 1
• DC Beta is also called hFE in transistor data sheets

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Transistor Characteristics and Parameters

• DC Alpha and DC Beta are in turn related to

each other as follows:

Relationship of bDC and aDC

 DC
 DC 
1   DC

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 Transistor Circuit Analysis

Base Emitter Circuit RC IC

Analysis to find IB RB VCB +
_ +
VCE VCC
IB + _
Since VBE is a forward VBB
VBE _

biased p-n junction IE

VBE  0.7V

VBB  I B RB  VBE
Using circuit analysis
VBB  VBE
about BE Circuit,  IB 
RB
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 Transistor Circuit Analysis

Collector Emitter Circuit RC IC

Analysis to find IC RB VCB +
_ +
Using circuit analysis VCE VCC
+ _
about CE Circuit, IB VBE _
VBB
IE
VCC  I C RC  VCE
Recall also that I   I
C B

In addition, note that

VCE  VCB  VBE I E  I B  IC
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 Transistor Circuit Analysis

Example 21-1
Determine IB, IC, IE, VBE, VCE and VCB in the circuit
below. The transistor has a bDC of 150
RC 120 

RB + VCC
10 k
VBB 12 V
+

4V
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 Transistor Circuit Analysis
RC 120 

• Solution RB + VCC
VBB
VBE = 0.7 V +
10 k 12 V
4V

Base  emitter circuit :

VBB  I B RB  VBE
VBB  VBE 4 V  0.7 V
 IB    330 A
RB 10 k

Using   I C I C   DC I B  (150)(330 A)  49.5 mA

DC
IB

IE = IC + IB = 49.5Copyright
mA ©+2004
0.33 mA = 49.83 mA
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 Transistor Circuit Analysis
RC 120 
• Solution
RB + VCC
Analysing CE circuit : VBB 10 k 12 V
Since VCC  I C RC  VCE 4V +

 VCE  VCC  I C RC
 12 V  (49.5 mA)(120 )
 12 V  5.94 V
 6.06 V

VCE  VCB  VBE

VCB  VCE  VBE  6.06 V  0.7 V  5.36V
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 Collector Characteristic Curves
A Collector
IC
As VCC increases, Characteristic Curve
IC and VCE will RC governs the relationship
IC
also increase. between IC
VCB + + and VCE
RB _ +
VCC
VCE
+ + _ _
VBB IB VBE
_ IE
_
0 VCE
0.2V or 0.3V VCE(max)

IC vs. VCECopyright
curve for one value
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of I B
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 Collector Characteristic Curves

• Operating Regions of a Transistor

IC

Saturation
region
Breakdown
region
Active
region

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VCE 21
 Collector Characteristic Curves

• Family of IC vs VCE curves for different values of

IB IC

IB4
IB3
IB2 IB1 < IB2 < IB3
IB1
IB=0
ICEO VCE
0
Cutoff region
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 Collector Characteristic Curves

• Transistors can be operated in:

– The cut-off region
– The active region (linear region)
– The saturation region
• They should, however, NEVER be operated in
the breakdown region

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 Operation in Cut-off Region
• When IB = 0 or very small
RC ICEO
(VBE<0.7V), transistor is in
the cut-off region RB +
+
VCC
• A very small amount of VCE(cut-off)
_ _
collector leakage current IB = 0
ICEO (usually ignored) is
present
Since VCC  I C EO R C  VCE(cutoff)
Transistor C-E
Hence, circuit acts like an
VCE (cutoff) ≈ VCC
open switch
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 Operation in Saturation Region
If IB is increased further, RC IC
transistor reaches +
SATURATION. RB + VCC
VCE( SAT)
+ _ _
IB
At saturation, IC cannot VBB
increase further regardless _
of increases in IB

When IB = IB(sat), IC = IC(sat) Transistor C-E

circuit acts like an
Then VCE = VCE(sat) = 0.2 or 0.3 V closed switch
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 Operation in Active Region

• As IB increases, IC also increases and VCE drops.

• This is now the ACTIVE region of the BJT
• In active region, relationship between IC and
VCE are governed by the following equations:
VCC  I C RC  VCE
VCC V CE VCC V CE
IC   IC   
RC OR RC RC

This equation shows how IC is related to VCE and is

sometimes called Copyright
the DC © 2004 Load Line
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 Operation in Active Region

• Transistor operating in Active Region acts like

an amplifier
• Here IC = bIB
• We have already covered this mode of
operation in the previous block

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 Operation in Active Region

Active
Region

• Active region lies Copyright

between
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 Summary
 The BJT (bipolar junction transistor) is constructed
with three regions: base, collector, and emitter.
 The BJT has two pn junctions
 the base-emitter junction and
 the base-collector junction.
 Current in a BJT consists of both free electrons and
holes, thus the term bipolar.
 The base region is very thin and lightly doped
compared to the collector and emitter regions.
 The two types of bipolar junction transistor are the npn
and the pnp.

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 Summary
 The 3 currents in the transistor are the base current
(IB), emitter current (IE), and collector current (IC).
 IB is very small compared to IC and IE.
 The dc current gain of a transistor is the ratio of Ic to
IB and is designated βDC. Values typically range from
less than 20 to several hundred.
 βDC is usually referred to as hFE on transistor data
sheets.
 The ratio of IC to IE is called αDC . Values typically
range from 0.95 to 0.99.
 A transistor can operate in the cut-off, active and
saturation regions.
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