ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics

1
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Early Effect & BJT Biasing

Early Effect

DC BJT Behavior

DC Biasing the BJT

ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
2
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Early Effect
Collector voltage has some effect on collector current it
increases slightly with increases in voltage. This phenomenon
is called the Early Effect and is modeled as a linear increase
in total current with increases in v
CE
:
i
C
=I
S
e
v
BE
V
T
(
1+
v
CE
V
A
)
V
A
is called the Early voltage and ranges from about 50 V.
to 100 V.
NMOS transistor
\
n
=
1
V
A
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
3
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Early Effect - Continued
i
C
=I
S
e
v
BE
V
T
(
1+
v
CE
V
A
)
Total (bias+signal) quantities:
i
C
=I
C
v
BE
=V
BE
v
CE
=V
CE
i
C
=I
C
=I
S
e
V
BE
V
T
(
1+
V
CE
V
A
)
=I
C
'
(
1+
V
CE
V
A
)
Consider dc (bias) condition (signal = 0):
Call the idealized collector bias current I'
C
:
I
C
'
=I
S
e
V
BE
V
T
i
C
=I
C
+i
c
v
BE
=V
BE
+v
be
v
CE
=V
CE
+v
ce
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
4
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
We shall define: r
o
=
V
A
I
C
'
I
C
=I
C
'
+
V
CE
r
o
I
C
=I
C
'
(
1+
V
CE
V
A
)
=I
C
'
+
V
CE
V
A
I
C
'
Rearranging slightly:
Early Effect - Continued
The dc current due to both emitter and collector voltages is:
MOS transistor
r
o
=
V
A
I
D
I
C
'
=I
S
e
V
BE
V
T
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
5
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Although the bias current including the Early effect is better
modeled as:
I
C
=I
C
'
+
V
CE
r
o
We almost always will ignore the second term above and
use our usual expression for the bias current:
I
C
I
C
'
=I
S
e
V
BE
V
T
Early Effect - Continued
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
6
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
The Early term adds r
o
to the large signal model:
Early Effect - Continued
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
7
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
For typical operating conditions:
V
A
50100V.
I
C
1mA.
r
o
=
V
A
I
C

100
10
3
=100 k D
We usually can ignore r
o
since, in practice, r
o
is in parallel
with other resistors, which are much smaller than .
For the time being, you will be told if you must include r
o
in
your pencil-and-paper circuit designs.
Early Effect - Continued
100k D
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
8
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Early Effect Scilab Simulation
VsubA=100;
vCE=0.01:0.01:12; //array 0.01 to 12 in .01 V. steps
for ICprime = 2:2:10 //mA.
ICp = ICprime*sign(vCE); //ICp value for each vCE one
plot(vCE,ICp); //Current in mA.
ro=VsubA/ICprime;//Add bias Early effect
IC=ICp+vCE/ro;
plot(vCE,IC)
end
//Plot load line for 1 KOhm Rc - 12V Vcc
Rc=1;
Gc=1/Rc;
Vcc=12;
vCLL = 0:0.01:12;
ILoLin=Gc*Vcc-Gc*vCLL;
plot(vCLL,ILoLin)
I
LoLin
V
CLL
I
LoLin
=
1
R
C
(V
CC
V
CLL
)
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
9
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Simulation Results
I
LoLin
=
1
R
C
(V
CC
V
CLL
)
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
10
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Active Mode Conditions
Base-emitter diode forward biased:
Base-collector diode back biased:
v
BE
0.7V
v
BC
=v
BE
v
CE
0.5V
v
CE
0.5v
BE
v
CE
0.2V
v
CE
0.2V
Forward-Active
(ideal cond.)
V
BE
> 0
V
BC
< 0
i
E
= i
C
+ i
B
v
CE
= v
CB
+ v
BE
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
11
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Amplifier Biasing Goals
We wish to set a stable value of I
C
so that we can apply a
signal voltage or current signal to the emitter-base circuit and
obtain an amplified (undistorted) version of the signal between
the collector and ground.
The transistor cannot saturate during operation, i.e.
v
CE
>0.2V.
And it cannot cut off during operation, i.e.
i
C
>0 mA.
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
12
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Amplifier DC Bias Problem
i
C
=I
C
+i
c
v
BE
=V
BE
+v
be
v
CE
=V
CE
+v
ce
Time
v
I
= v
BE
v
O
= v
CE
R
C
V
CC
i
C
v
O
V
CE
V
CC
0
Time
v
i
= v
be
V
BE
Time
v
o
= v
ce
V
CEsat
= 0.2 V
v
I
0.5 1.5
1.0
Q
cutoff
saturation
fwd
active
slope = A
v
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
13
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Amplifier Action

Base current source:

A small change in base current

results in a large collector current
( ).

This yields a large change in col-

lector voltage.

Base voltage source:

A small change in base voltage

results in a large change in collec-
tor current (i
C
= I
S
exp(v
BE
/V
T
)).

This yields a large change in col-

lector voltage.
i
b
v
CE
i
C
i
B
Source
v
BE
V
CC
R
C
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
14
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Voltage Source Input With Collector Load
Solution of the simultaneous
equations exists where the two
curves: the exponential (i
C
,v
BE
) and
the straight line (i
C
,v
CE
) intersect:
i
C
=I
S
e
v
BE
V
T
i
C
=
V
CC
v
CE
R
C
V
CC
v
CE
R
C
=I
S
e
v
BE
V
T
Load Line
BJT
Circuit
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
15
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Scilab Plot of NPN Characteristic
//Calculate and plot npn BJT collector
//characteristic using active mode model
VsubT=0.025;
VTinv=1/VsubT;
IsubS=1E-14;
vCE=0:0.01:10;
for vBE=0.58:0.01:0.63
iC=IsubS*exp(VTinv*vBE);
plot(vCE,1000*iC); //Current in mA.
end
Vcc=10;
Rc=10000;
vLoad=0:0.01:10;
iLoad=(Vcc-vLoad)/Rc;
plot(vLoad,1000*iLoad);
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
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2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
NPN Transistor Load Line
Vce (V.)
Ic (mA.)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Plot Output
v
BE
=0.63V.
v
BE
=0.62V.
v
BE
=0.60V.
Load Line
i
C
=
V
CC
v
CE
R
C
V
CC
=10V
R
C
=10k D
Av
BE
=0.04V
Av
CE
7V
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
17
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Amplifier Action
Note that as v
BE
varies from about 0.59 V to O.63 V, v
CE

varies from about 8 V to 1V!
A 0.04 V peak-to-peak swing of v
BE
results in an 7 V peak-
to-peak swing in v
CE
- A ratio of 7/0.04, or about 175.
The output magnitude is about 175 times the input magni-
tude, for a gain of 175.
The input signal has two components: a DC one called the
bias voltage, and an AC one called the (small) signal volt-
age. For proper operation, let:
V
BIAS
=(V
BE( MAX )
+V
BE( MIN)
)/ 2=0.61V
v
SIGNAL
=(V
BE( MAX )
V
BE( MIN)
)/ 2=0.02V
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
18
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Candidate Bias Configurations
Base voltage
source
Base current
source
Emitter current
source
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
19
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Drive Base With a Current Source
Assume: =100
I
C
= I
B
=100510
6
I
C
=0.5mA.
For this collector current:
V
CE
=V
CC
R
C
I
C
V
CE
=1010
4
0.510
3
=5V
The transistor is almost right in the
center of the desired operating
region!
V
CE
I
C
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
20
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Current Bias Beta Dependence
Unfortunately, beta is very poorly controlled and may easily
vary from 50 to 200. And beta is also temperature dependent!
I
C
=50510
6
=0.25mA.
For beta of 50:
The device with a V
CE
= 7.5 V
is close to the I
C
cutoff point.
For beta of 200:
I
C
=200105
6
=1.0 mA.
The device is saturated, V
CE

tries to be 0 V!
There are huge problems associated with trying to drive a
BJT with a base current source! BIAS POINT IS UNSTABLE.
V
CE
=1010
4
0.2510
3
=7.5V
V
CE
=1010
4
110
3
=0V
V
CE
=V
CC
R
C
I
C
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
21
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Drive base with a voltage source
For an I
C
of 0.5 mA:
V
BE
=V
T
ln(
I
C
I
S
)
Given:
I
S
=10
14
A
I
C
=0.510
3
A
and:
V
BE
=0.025ln(0.510
11
)
V
BE
=0.02524.635=0.6159V
OK. Apply 0.6159 volts to the
base and we have the desired
collector current!
Again, the transistor is nearly at
the center of the desired operating
region!
I
C
=I
S
e
V
BE
V
T
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
22
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Voltage Bias I
S
and V
CE
Dependence
Unfortunately, I
S
is highly temperature-dependent, doubling
for a 5 degree C increase in temperature. If the base-emitter
voltage is chosen to give 0.5 mA collector current at 20 degrees
C (68 F), it will double at 25 C and halve at 15 C.
I
C
is also highly sensitive to V
BE
. Consider two values of
collector current, I
C
and 10I
C
:
10 I
C
I
C
=
I
S
e
V
BE10
V
T
I
S
e
V
BE1
V
T
V
BE10
V
VE1
=V
T
ln(10)
V
BE10
V
BE1
=0.0252.3025=0.0576V.
Less than a 60 mV change in VBE voltage increases IC by an
order of magnitude (10X). BIAS POINT IS UNSTABLE.
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
23
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Emitter Current Source
This holds collector current close to its desired value since:
I
C
=o I
E
Changes in I
C
for in the range determined by the
extremes of are negligible
50200
50
51
o
200
201
There is considerable variation in base current, however, but
this is usually of no consequence.
I
B
=
I
E
+1

I
E
51
I
B

I
E
201
ESE319 Introduction to Microelectronics
24
2008 Kenneth R. Laker (based on P. V. Lopresti 2006) update 11Sep08 KRL
Conclusion
Biasing a BJT poses large stability problems, since
its characteristics are highly sensitive to temperature
and since its electrical properties (principally beta)
vary widely from one device to another!
The next lecture will cover some techniques for
stabilizing BJT operation.