UJT

an n-type bar of semiconductor with a ptype alloy region on one side a 2-layer, 3-terminal solid-state (silicon) switching device also called the double-base diode

Construction of UJT
Consists of a lightly-doped N-type silicon bar with a small piece of heavily doped P-type material alloyed to its one side to produce single P-N junction. The single P-N junction accounts for the terminology unijunction. The silicon bar, at its ends, has two ohmic contacts designated as base-1 (B1) and base2 (B2), as shown and the P-type region is termed the emitter (E). The emitter junction is usually located closer to base2 (B2) than base-1 (B1) so that the device is not symmetrical, because symmetrical unit does not provide optimum electrical characteristics for most of the applications.

Construction of UJT

Resistive equivalent circuit of a UJT

The resistive equivalent circuit of a UJT shown makes it easier to understand its operation. The emitter current controls the value of r B1 inversely. The total resistance or interbase resistance (r BB) equals the sum of r B1 and r B2. The standoff ratio (L) is the ratio r B1/ r BB.

Operation of UJT

When the emitter supply voltage is turned down to zero, the intrinsic stand-off voltage reverse-biases the emitter diode. If VB is the barrier voltage of the emitter diode, then the total reverse bias voltage is VA + VB = VBB + VB. For silicon VB = 0.7 V. Let the emitter supply voltage VE be slowly increased.
When VE becomes equal to VBB, IEo will be reduced to zero. With equal voltage levels on each side of the diode, neither reverse nor forward current will flow.

When emitter supply voltage is further increased.

The diode becomes forward-biased as soon as it exceeds the total reverse bias voltage ( VBB + VB). This value of emitter voltage VE is called the peak-point voltage and is denoted by VP. When VE = VP, emitter current IE starts to flow through RB1 to ground, that is B1. This is the minimum current that is required to trigger the UJT. This is called the peak-point emitter current and denoted by IP. Ip is inversely proportional to the interbase voltage, VBB.

When the emitter diode starts conducting.

charge carriers are injected into the RB region of the bar the resistance of region RB decreases rapidly due to additional charge carriers the voltage drop across RB also decrease, cause the emitter diode to be more heavily forward biased This results in larger forward current, and consequently more charge carriers are injected causing still further reduction in the resistance of the RB region the emitter current goes on increasing until it is limited by the emitter power supply Since VA decreases with the increase in emitter current, the UJT is said to have negative resistance characteristic It is seen that the base-2 (B2) is used only for applying external voltage VBB across it Terminals E and B1 are the active terminals. UJT is usually triggered into conduction by applying a suitable positive pulse to the emitter It can be turned off by applying a negative trigger pulse

UJT Characteristics

The curve between Emitter voltage Ve and emitter current Ie of a UJT at a given voltage Vbb between the bases, this is known as emitter characteristic of UJT Initially in the cut off region as Ve increases from zero, slight leakage current flows from terminal B2 to the emitter. The current is due to the minority carriers in the reverse biased diode. Above a certain value of Ve forward Ie begins to flow , increasing until the peak voltage Vp and current Ip are reached at point P. After the peak point P an attempt to increase Ve is followed by a sudden increases in emitter current Ie with decrease in Ve is a negative resistance portion of the curve The negative portion of the curve lasts until the valley point V is reached with valley point voltage Vv. And valley point current Iv after the valley point the device is driven to saturation. The difference Vp-Vv is a measure of a switching efficiency of UJT fall of Vbb decreases.

Important Parameters

Peak-Point Emitter Current. Ip. It is the emitter current at the peak point. It represents the minimum current that is required to trigger the device (UJT). It is inversely proportional to the interbase voltage VBB.

Valley Point Voltage VV The valley point voltage is the emitter voltage at the valley point. The valley voltage increases with the increase in interbase voltage VBB. Valley Point Current IV The valley point current is the emitter current at the valley point. It increases with the increase in interbase voltage VBB.

The worth noting points about UJT

The device has only one junction, so it is called the unijunction device. The device, because of one P-N junction, is quite similar to a diode but it differs from an ordinary diode as it has three terminals. The structure of a UJT is quite similar to that of an N-channel JFET. The main difference is that P-type (gate) material surrounds the N-type (channel) material in case of JFET and the gate surface of the JFET is much larger than emitter junction of UJT. In a unijunction transistor the emitter is heavily doped while the Nregion is lightly doped, so the resistance between the base terminals is relatively high, typically 4 to 10 kilo Ohm when the emitter is open. The N-type silicon bar has a high resistance and the resistance between emitter and base-1 is larger than that between emitter and base-2. It is because emitter is closer to base-2 than base-1. UJT is operated with emitter junction forward- biased while the JFET is normally operated with the gate junction reverse-biased. UJT does not have ability to amplify but it has the ability to control a large ac power with a small signal. It exhibits a negative resistance characteristic and so it can be employed as an oscillator.

Three types of unijunction transistors

The original unijunction transistor, or UJT, is a simple device that is essentially a bar of N type semiconductor material into which P type material has been diffused somewhere along its length, defining the device parameter . The 2N2646 is the most commonly used version of the UJT. The complementary unijunction transistor, or CUJT, that is a bar of P type semiconductor material into which N type material has been diffused somewhere along its length, defining the device parameter . The 2N6114 is one version of the CUJT. The programmable unijunction transistor, or PUT, is a close cousin to the thyristor. Like the thyristor it consists of four P-N layers and has an anode and a cathode connected to the first and the last layer, and a gate connected to one of the inner layers. They are not directly interchangeable with conventional UJTs but perform a similar function. In a proper circuit configuration with two "programming" resistors for setting the parameter , they behave like a conventional UJT. The 2N6027 is an example of such a device.

Advantages of UJT

It is a Low cost device It has excellent characteristics It is a low-power absorbing device under normal operating conditions A stable triggering voltage (VP) a fixed fraction of applied inter base voltage VBB. A very low value of triggering current. A high pulse current capability. A negative resistance characteristic.

UJT Applications
oscillators pulse generators saw-tooth generators triggering circuits phase control timing circuits voltage or current-regulated supplies