Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

Lecture 10a
EE-215 Electronic Devices and Circuits
Asst Prof Muhammad Anis Chaudhary

BJT: Device Structure and Physical Operation

Operation in the Saturation Mode
for an npn BJT to operate in the active mode,
the EBJ is forward biased and
the CBJ is reverse biased i.e vCB 0
but as a pn junction doesnot eectively becomes forward biased
until the forward voltage across it, exceeds the cut-in voltage of
approximately 0.5V

the cut-in voltage of the EBJ is typically 0.5V,

but as the CBJ area is 10 to 100 times the EBJ area
the cut-in voltage of the CBJ will be lesser around typically 0.4V
gure shows plot of i = IS evBE /VT in blue and i =(100 IS )evBC /VT in red

from the gure cut-in voltage for CBJ is 0.4V

thus for the BJT to operate in the active mode,
the EBJ is forward biased and
the CBJ must be reverse biased i.e vCB 0

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

but as a pn junction doesnot eectively becomes forward biased

until the forward voltage across it, exceeds the cut-in voltage of approximately 0.4V
(CBJ)
= the active mode operation of an npn transistor still continues
for negative vCB down to approximately 0.4V
the active mode operation of an npn transistor still continues for negative vCB down to approximately
0.4V

thus for active mode operation for an npn BJT

EBJ is forward-biased and CBJ is reverse-biased = vCB 0.4V
beyong vCB = 0.4V i.e. for vBC > 0.4V , the CBJ begins to
conduct suiciently and thus the transistor leaves the active mode,
and enters the saturation mode of operation, where iC decreases.
to understand why iC decreases in saturation, rst we need to take a look at the forward and
reverse biased pn juntions

in case of active mode

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

EBJ is forward biased, electrons ow from the emitter to the base

and holes from the base to the emitter
these electrons will diuse across the thin base region and reach the depletion
region,
experiences the electric eld across the space charge region and move into the
collector
in case of reverse active mode
CBJ is forward biased, electrons ow from the collector to the base
and holes from the base to the collector
the electrons will diuse across the thin base region and reach the
depletion region of EBJ, these electrons experience the electric eld and are swept
into the emitter region.
in case of saturation mode
both EBJ and CBJ are forward biased
for EBJ
electrons ow from the Emitter to the base and
holes from the base to the emitter
for CBJ
electrons ow from the collector to the base and
holes from the base to the collector

As the Emitter is strongly doped relative to the collector, the minority carrier (electons)
distribution in the base can be given as
As CBJ is now forward-biased, the electron concentration at
the collector edge is no longer zero rather it is a value proportional to evBC /VT
= iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT
where ISC is the scale current for CBJ

iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT

thus we can construct a model for the saturated npn transistor as

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

Note that here we augment the model for active region, with the forward-conducting CBJ diode
DC

Apply KCL at collector terminal

= ISC evBC /VT + iC = IS evBE /VT
or iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT
applying KCL at base terminal
IS
iB =
evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT
now we have an additional hole current term because of the forward biased CBJ i.e.
ISC evBC /VT
IS
iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT and iB =
evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT
iC IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT
divide 1st eq by 2nd = iB
= IS

evBE /VT +ISC evBC /VT
iC
this ratio, i is called
B
forced and is denoted as forced
iC
(because i can be set to any desired value lower than
B
by adjusting vBC )
thus forced < and forced can be reduced by increasing vBC i.e. by driving the transistor
deeper into saturation
the collector-to-emitter voltage of a saturated transistor can be given as
vCEsat = vC vE = vCB vEB
vCEsat = vBC + vBE vCB = vBC and vEB = vBE
vCEsat = vBE vBC
vCEsat = vBE vBC
as vBE 0.7V in active region and vBC 0.4V at the start of saturation region

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

= vCEsat = 0.7 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region

thus vCEsat = 0.7 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region

ultimately the current iC is reduced to zero
= iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT = 0 = IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT

IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT

/V ISC ISC
= evBE = = e(vBE vBC )/VT =
vT
BC /VT
e IS IS
(vBE vBC )/VT = ln
ISC
IS
ISC
vBE vBC = VT ln IS
(vB vE )(vB vC )= VT ln
ISC
IS
ISC ISC
vE + vC = VT ln IS
= vCE = VT ln IS
ISC
if CBJ area is 100 times the EBJ area = IS
= 100
ISC
for I
S
= 100 = vCE = VT ln 100 = 0.115V
ISC
for I
S
= 50 = vCE = VT ln 50 = 0.098V
= vCE 0.1V at the end of saturation mode of operation
vCEsat = vBE vBC
vCEsat = 0.7 0.4 = 0.3V at the start of saturation region (end of active region)
and vCEsat 0.1V at the end of saturation mode of operation (when iC = 0)
= vCEsat 0.1 to 0.3V

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

vCEsat 0.1 to 0.3V

thus at the edge of the saturation
vCEsat = 0.3V
while for a BJT deep into saturation has
vCEsat = 0.2V
Exercise 6.8
= IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT to show that iC reaches zero at
Use Eq. (6.14) i.e. iC
VCE = VT ln(ISC /IS ).
Calculate VCE for a transistor whose CBJ has 100 times the area of EBJ .
Solution
iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT = 0
= IS evBE /VT = ISC evBC /VT
/VT I ISC
= evBE = ISCS = e(vBE vBC )/VT =
v

e /
BC VT IS
(vBE vBC )/VT = ln
ISC
IS
ISC
vBE vBC = VT ln IS
(vB vE )(vB vC )= VT ln
ISC
IS

(vB vE )(vB vC )= VT ln
ISC
IS
ISC
vB vE vB + vC = VT ln IS
ISC
vE + vC = VT ln IS
ISC
= vCE = VT ln IS
As CBJ area is 100 times the EBJ area = ISC = 100 IS
I
= ISCS = 100 = vCE = VT ln 100 = 0.11513V = 115.13mV
Exercise 6.9
Use Eqs. (6.14), (6.15), and (6.16) to show that a BJT operating in saturation with VCE = VCEsat has
a forced given by

ISC
eVCEsat /VT IS
forced = ISC
eVCEsat /VT + IS

Fing forced for = 100, ISC /IS = 100, and VCEsat = 0.2V
Solution
eq6.14 = iC = IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT

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Handout 10a , Asst Prof M Anis Ch, Electronic Devices and Circuits

IS
eq6.15 = iB =
evBE /VT + ISC evBC /VT
= . C
i
Eq6.16 = forced iB saturation
iC IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT
forced = . iB saturation
= IS

evBE /VT +ISC evBC /VT

IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT

forced = IS

evBE /VT +ISC evBC /VT

)
IS evBE /VT ISC evBC /VT
forced = (
IS evBE /VT +ISC evBC /VT
divide numerator and denominator by evBC /VT

evBE /VT
IS ISC

IS
evBC /VT

forced = evBE /VT
+ISC
evBC /VT
vBE vBC

)
IS e VT ISC
forced = ( vBE vBC

IS e VT +ISC
As
vBE vBC =(vB vE )(vB vC )= vB vE vB + vC = vE + vC = vC vE = vCE
vCE

)
IS e VT ISC
= forced = ( vCE

IS e VT +ISC
vCE

)
IS e VT ISC
forced = ( vCE

IS e VT +ISC
divide numerator and denominator by IS
e VT IISC
v CE

= forced = vCE
e VT + I
S

ISC

S
when = 100, ISC /IS = 100, and VCEsat = 0.2V
e0.2/25e3 100
forced = 100( e0.2/25e3 +(100)(100)
)= 22.194

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