184 CHAPTER 7.

THE MOS AMPLIFIER

Exercise 7.8 The three terminal device shown in Figure 7.9a is called a bipolar junction

transistor (BJT). Figure 7.9b shows a piecewise linear model for the device, in which the
parameter is a constant. When
  
and
1`
    ( = S
the emitter diode behaves like a short circuit, the collector diode like an open circuit, and
the collector current is given by
`   


Under the above constraints, the BJT is said to operate in its active region. For the rest of
this exercise, assume that   .
C +
0.4 V
C +- iC
+
iC
B iB βiB
vCE B iB
+ vCE
+
vBE iE
- E - + 0.6 V
vBE -
iE
- -
E
(a) (b)

Figure 7.9: (a) A bipolar junction transistor. B stands for base, E for emitter and C for
collector. (b) A piecewise linear model for the BJT

a) Determine the collector current M` for a base current    

 
and 1`   5]
using the model in Figure 7.9b.
b) Sketch a graph of ` versus '`  for     
. using the model in Figure 7.9b. In


drawing this graph, assume that the current source turns off for
'`

 

(  =S

Solution:

a) Since     and '`    = 5 ] , the BJT operates in its active region.


`