CO2006: Electronics II, Spring 2010

Output Stages and

Power Amplifiers

dcchang@ce.ncu.edu.tw

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 Power BJTs
Power transistors are large-area devices.
Because of difference in geometry and
doping concentrations, their properties
tend to vary from those of the small-signal
devices.
The current gain of power BJTs is
generally smaller in the range of 20 to 100,
and may be a strong function of collector
current and temperature.
At high current levels, the current gain
tends to drop off significantly, and parasitic
resistances in the base and collector
regions may become significant, affecting
the transistor terminal characteristics.
The maximum rated collector current I C ,rated
The avalanche breakdown voltage (when
the base is open) VCEO
The minimum voltage sustaining the
transistor in breakdown VCE ( sus )
Second breakdown: permanent failure

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 Safe Operating Area of BJTs

The instantaneous and average power
dissipation
pQ vCE iC vBE iB vCE iC

1 T
PQ vCE iC dt
T 0
DC maximum rated power
PT VCE I C

Safe Operating Area (SOA): The region

where the transistor can be operated
safely.
SOA is bounded by
I C ,rated , VCE ( sus ) , PT ,
Second breakdown curve

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 Power MOSFETs
The superior performance characteristics of power MOSFETs
Faster switching times
No second breakdown
Stable gain and response over a wide temperature range

A MOSFET is a high impedance, voltage-controlled device, the drive circuitry is simpler.

The gate of a 10A power MOSFET may be driven by the output of a standard logic
circuit.
In contrast, if the current gain of a 10A BJT is 10, then a base current of 1A is
required for a collector current of 10A.

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 Heat Sinks
The power dissipated in a transistor increases its internal temperature above the
ambient temperature.
If the device or junction temperature becomes too high, the transistor may suffer
permanent damage.
Special precautions must be taken in packaging power transistors and in providing heat
sinks so that heat can be conducted from the transistor.

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 Thermal Resistance
The temperature difference across an element with a thermal resistance is
T2 T1 P
P: thermal power through the element
Electrical equivalent circuit for heat flow from the device to the ambient

When a heat sink is used:

Tdev Tamb PD (dev -case case-sink sink-amb )

When a heat sink is not used:

Tdev Tamb PD (dev -case case-amb )

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 Classes of Power Amplifiers

Power amplifiers are classified according to the percent of time the output transistors are
conducting (turned on).
Four principal classifications: class-A, class-B, class-AB, class-C

100% 50%

50%
50%

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 Class-A Operation
Standard Class-A Amplifier
VCC I CQ
pQ vCE iC pQ vCE iC (1 sin 2 t )
2
1 V VCC I CQ
iC I CQ I CQ sin t Load average ac power PL CC I CQ
2 2 4
VCC VCC
vCE sin t Power supply PS VCC I CQ
2 2
PL
Power Conversion Efficiency 25%
PS

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 Class-B Operation
Complementary Push-Pull Output Stage

1. 0.6V v I 0.6V 2. v I 0.6V

Qn: off, Qp: off Qn: on, Qp: off
vo 0 vo vI 0.6
3. vI 0.6V
Qn: off, Qp: on
vo v I 0.6

Crossover
distortion

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 Power Efficiency
For idealized class-B output stage,
vO VP sin t
The instantaneous power dissipation in Qn is
pQn vCEniCn
(1) 0 t ,
vO V p
iCn sin t
RL RL
vCEn VCC V p sin t
Vp
pQn (VCC V p sin t ) sin t
RL
(2) t 2,
iCn 0 pQn 0
The average power dissipation in Qn is
1 VCCV p V p2 2 VCCV p V p2
pQn
2
0

R sin R sin d R 4 R
L L L L

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 Power Efficiency
Maximum average power dissipation VCCV p V p2
setting the derivative of pQn with pQn
RL 4 RL
respect to Vp equal to zero,
2
VCC
pQn (max) 2
RL
2V
VP|PQn (max) CC

Power conversion efficiency
2
1 Vp
The average power delivered to the load PL
2 RL
1 Vp Vp
2 0 RL
The average current supplied by each source sin d
RL
V V
The average current supplied by each source P P CC p
V V
RL
2VCCV p
The total average power PS
RL
1 V p2 2VCCV p V p
The conversion efficiency

2 RL RL 4 VCC
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 Maximum Conversion Efficiency

Maximum Conversion Efficiency
Vp
, V p VCC
4 VCC

(max) 78.5%, when V p VCC
4
Actual Conversion Efficiency: less than 78.5%
Circuit losses
Peak output voltage less than Vcc to avoid transistor saturation

Conversion Efficiency when the maximum transistor power dissipation occurs

2VCC
VP|PQn (max)

V p 2VCC /
( PQn (max) ) 1 / 2 50%
4 VCC 4 VCC

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 Class-AB Operation
Class-AB output stage: applying a small quiescent bias on each output transistor to
eliminate crossover distortion.

Let vI 0, vO 0, then VBB / 2 is applied to the B/E junction.

iCn iCp I S eVBB / 2VT

(1) As v I increases,
vO vI VBB / 2 vBEn
iCn iL iCp
vO iL iCn vBEn vEBp iCp

(2) As v I goes negative,

vO v I VBB / 2 vEBp
vO vEBp iCp vBEn iCn

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 Class-AB Operation
vBEn vEBp VBB
iCn i I
VT ln VT ln Cp 2VT ln CQ I CQ : quiescent collector current
IS IS IS
iCniCp I CQ
2

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 Advantage of Class-AB Output Stages

For a zero input signal, quiescent collector currents exist in the output transistors, the
average power supplied by each source and the average power dissipated in each
transistor are larger than for a class-B configuration.
Power conversion efficiency is less than for an idealized class-B circuit.

The quiescent collector currents are usually small compared to the peak current, this
increase in power dissipation is not great.

The advantage of eliminating crossover distortion in the class-AB output stage greatly
outweighs the slight disadvantage of reduced conversion efficiency and increased power
dissipation.

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 Class-C Operation
For class-C operation, the transistor has a reverse-biased BE voltage at the Q-point.
The collector current is not negative, but is zero at the quiescent point.
The transistor conducts for less than a half-cycle, which defines class-C operation.
Conversion efficiency is large than 78.5% and usually used for RF circuits.

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