9/22/2016 Phototransistor|Electrical4u

Phototransistor
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Phototransistorsareeithertriterminal(emitter,baseandcollector)orbiterminal(emitterandcollector)
semiconductordeviceswhichhavealightsensitivebaseregion.Althoughalltransistorsexhibitlightsensitive
nature,thesearespeciallydesignedandoptimizedforphotoapplications.Thesearemadeofdiffusionorion
implantationandhavemuchlargercollectorandbaseregionsincomparisonwiththeordinarytransistors.These
devicescanbeeitherhomojunctionstructuredorheterojunctionstructured,asshownbyFigure1aand1b,
respectively.Inthecaseofhomojunctionphototransistors,theentiredevicewillbemadeofasinglematerialtype
eithersiliconorgermanium.Howevertoincreasetheirefficiency,thephototransistorscanbemadeofnonidentical
materials(GroupIIIVmaterialslikeGaAs)oneithersideofthepnjunctionleadingtoheterojunctiondevices.
Nevertheless,homojunctiondevicesaremoreoftenusedincomparisonwiththeheterojunctiondevicesastheyare
economical.

ThecircuitsymbolfornpnphototransistorsisshownbyFigure2whichisnothingbutatransistor(withorwithout
baselead)withtwoarrowspointingtowardsthebaseindicatingitssensitivitytolight.Similarsymbolic
representationholdswelleveninthecaseofpnpphototransistorswiththeonlychangebeingthearrowatemitter
pointingin,insteadofout.

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Thebehaviorofphototransistorsisidenticaltothatofnormaltransistorsexceptthefactthatheretheeffectbrought
aboutbythebasevoltagewillbeexperiencedduetotheincidentlight.Thiscanbemadeclearerbyanalyzingthe
followingpoints

1.Thecharacteristicsofphototransistorsaresimilartothoseofnormaltransistorsexceptthattheyhavebase
currentreplacedbylightintensity.Thismeansthateventhesedeviceshavethreeoperatingregionsviz.,cut
off,activeandsaturation.Thisfurtherimpliesthatthephototransistorscanbeusedforeitherswitching(cut
offandsaturationmodedependent)applicationsorforamplification(activemodeoperation),justlike
ordinarytransistors.
2.Thephototransistorscanbeconfiguredintwodifferentconfigurationsviz.,commoncollectorandcommon
emitter,dependingontheterminalwhichiscommonbetweentheinputandoutputterminals,similarto
normaltransistors.
3.Asmallreversesaturationcurrent,calleddarkcurrent,flowsthroughthephototransistorevenintheabsence
oflightwhosevalueincreaseswithanincreaseinthevalueoftemperature,apropertyidenticaltothat
exhibitedbytheordinarytransistors.
4.Phototransistorsarepronetopermanentdamageduetobreakdownifthevoltageappliedacrossthe
collectoremitterjunctionincreasesbeyonditsbreakdownvoltage,justasinthecaseofnormaltransistors.

Generally,inthecaseofphototransistorcircuits,thecollectorterminalwillbeconnectedtothesupplyvoltageand
theoutputisobtainedattheemitterterminalwhilethebaseterminal,ifpresent,willbeleftunconnected.Underthis
condition,iflightismadetofallonthebaseregionofthephototransistor,thenitresultsinthegenerationof
electronholepairswhichgiverisetobasecurrent,nothingbutthephotocurrent,undertheinfluenceofapplied
electricfield.Thisfurtherresultsintheflowofemittercurrentthroughthedevice,resultingintheprocessof
amplification.Thisisbecause,here,themagnitudeofthephotocurrentdevelopedwillbeproportionaltothe
luminanceandwillbeamplifiedbythegainofthetransistorleadingtoalargercollectorcurrent.Theoutputofthe
phototransistordependsonvariesfactorslike

Wavelengthoftheincidentlight
Areaofthelightexposedcollectorbasejunction
DCcurrentgainofthetransistor.

Further,thecharacteristicsofaparticularphototransistorcanbeexpressedintermsofits

Luminoussensitivitydefinedastheratioofphotoelectriccurrenttotheincidentluminousflux
Spectralresponsewhichdecidesthelongestwavelengthwhichcanbeusedasthesensitivityofthe
phototransistorsisafunctionofwavelength
Photoelectricgainwhichindicatesitsefficiencyofconvertinglightintoanamplifiedelectricalsignal
Timeconstantwhichinfluencesitsresponsetime.

However,itisimportanttonotethatthespeedofresponseandthephototransistorgainareinverselyproportionalto
eachother,meaningwhichonedecreasesiftheotherincreases.

AdvantagesofPhototransistor

1.Simple,compactandlessexpensive.
2.Highercurrent,highergainandfasterresponsetimesincomparisonwithphotodiodes.
3.Resultsinoutputvoltageunlikephotoresistors.
4.Sensitivetoawiderangeofwavelengthsrangingfromultraviolet(UV)toinfrared(IR)throughvisible
radiation.
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5.Sensitivetolargenumberofsourcesincludingincandescentbulbs,fluorescentbulbs,neonbulbs,lasers,
flamesandsunlight.
6.Highlyreliableandtemporallystable.
7.Lessnoisywhencomparedtoavalanchephotodiodes.
8.Availableinwidevarietyofpackagetypesincludingepoxycoated,transfermoldedandsurfacemounted.

DisadvantagesofPhototransistor

1.Cannothandlehighvoltagesifmadeofsilicon.
2.Pronetoelectricspikesandsurges.
3.Affectedbyelectromagneticenergy.
4.Donotpermittheeasyflowofelectronsunlikeelectrontubes.
5.Poorhighfrequencyresponseduetoalargebasecollectorcapacitance.
6.Cannotdetectlowlevelsoflightbetterthanphotodiodes.

ApplicationsofPhototransistor

1.Objectdetection
2.Encodersensing
3.Automaticelectriccontrolsystemssuchasinlightdetectors
4.Securitysystems
5.Punchcardreaders
6.Relays
7.Computerlogiccircuitry
8.Countingsystems
9.Smokedetectors
10.Laserrangingfindingdevices
11.Opticalremotecontrols
12.CDplayers
13.Astronomy
14.Nightvisionsystems
15.Infraredreceivers
16.Printersandcopiers
17.Camerasasshuttercontrollers
18.Levelcomparators

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