Bipolar Junction Transistor

Minority Carrier Distribution & Terminal Current

Basically we assume that holes are injected into the base
at the forward bias emitter junction and these holes
diffuse to the collector junction.
First step is to solve for the excess carriers in the base
region.
Second step is to evaluate the emitter and collector
currents, from the gradient of hole distribution on each
side of the base region.
Minority Carrier Distribution & Terminal Current
As a third step, the base current can be calculated from a
current summation.
We shall simplify the calculation by making several
assumptions:
Holes diffuse from the emitter to collector; drift is negligible in
the base region.
The emitter current is made up entirely of holes.
Minority Carrier Distribution & Terminal Current
assumptions:
The collector saturation current is negligible.
The active part of base and the junctions are of uniform cross
sectional area.
All current and voltages are steady state.
Minority Carrier Distribution
Consider the simplified pnp transistor geometry which is
shown below
Minority Carrier Distribution
The excess carrier concentration at the edge of emitter
depletion region and collector junction at base is given
by
Emitter junction is strongly forward biased and collector
base junction is strongly reverse biased.
Minority Carrier Distribution
We can solve the excess hole concentration as a function
of distance in base using diffusion equation.
The solution for this equation is given by
By applying proper boundary conditions
Minority Carrier Distribution
Solving the previous equations to get the parameter as
Apply this value to the solution equation we get
This is the expression for the excess hole distribution in
the base region.
Evaluation of Terminal Current
Emitter and Collector current can be evaluated by the
gradient of hole concentration at each depletion region
edge.
From module- 1, the relation for diffusion current is
The above equation evaluated at xn = 0, gives the hole
component of the emitter current.
Evaluation of Terminal Current
Emitter current is given by
Similarly if we neglect the electrons crossing from
collector, Ic is made up entirely of holes entering the
collector depletion region from the base.
Evaluation of Terminal Current
Substitute the value of C1 and C2 to the previous
equations, we will get the solution as
We know that Ie = Ib + Ic, So Ib = Ie - Ic
Approximation of Terminal Currents
If the collector junction is reverse biased, then he
approximation of terminal currents will be as follows.
Coupled Diode Model
If the collector junction is forward biased, then the
approximation equation cannot be considered.
In such case, the emitter injected currents are represented
as I
EN
and I
CN
respectively.
Reverse injected current is represented as I
EI
and I
CI
For a symmetrical transistor, the various components can
be written as follows.
Coupled Diode Model
Now we can write the normal and inverted mode current
equation as follows.
The four components are combined as
Coupled Diode Model
These equations are linear superposition of the normal
and inverted components and it does not give the results
of symmetrical transistor.
To be more general, we must relate the four components
of current by factors which allow asymmetry in the two
junctions.
Coupled Diode Model
These equations are linear superposition of the normal
and inverted components and it does not give the results
of symmetrical transistor.
To be more general, we must relate the four components
of current by factors which allow asymmetry in the two
junctions.
So we shall write the normal emitter current as
Coupled Diode Model
Similarly the inverted collector current can be written as
The corresponding collected currents in the collector and
emitter terminals for normal and injected mode is
Coupled Diode Model
We can modify the ebers-moll equation as
Coupled Diode Model
The ebers-moll model can be drawn as follows
Charge Control Analysis
The normal components of current can be written in
terms of stored charge as
Similarly the inverted components can be written as
Based on this the terminal currents can be written as
Charge Control Analysis
Base current in the normal mode supports recombination
The effect of time dependence of stored charge is also
included in these equations
Drift in the base region
Consider the doping profile of the transistor shown
below.
Drift in the base region
A fairly sharp discontinuity in the doping profile can be
seen.
The net doping concentration in the base region is given
by N = Nd Na.
Doping distribution in the base is a portion of Gaussian.
Doping concentration varies exponentially within the
base region.
Drift in the base region
Doping profile in the base region is as shown below
Drift in the base region
Abuilt in electric field exist from emitter to collector.
This adds a drift component of the transport of holes.
The balance of electron drift and diffusion requires
Therefore the built in electric field is given by
Drift in the base region
For a doping profile decreases in the positive direction,
the field is positive in the emitter to collector direction.
This field increases the transport of holes across the base
region from emitter to collector.
Base Narrowing
Reverse bias condition applied to the collector terminal.
Kirk Effect
Current gain drops at high collector currents.
Kirk Effect
Current gain drops at high collector currents.
Hetro Junction BJT
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Hetro Junction BJT