Fundamental Electronic Circuits

Course 02

lecturer dr. eng. A. Cracan

“Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași,

Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology

2018

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Recap. BJT and MOSFET operating regions
Bipolar Junction Transistor operating regions.

When considering all the possible operating regions for a BJT

think of it as a pair of anti-series connected diodes.
Each diode can be forward-biased or reverse-biased.
2 diodes × 2 operating regions = 4 operating regions for the BJT.

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BJT operating regions

Applied voltages B-E junction bias (NPN) B-C junction bias (NPN) Mode (NPN)

𝑉𝐵𝐸 > 0, 𝑉𝐵𝐶 < 0 Forward Reverse Forward-active

𝑉𝐵𝐸 > 0, 𝑉𝐵𝐶 > 0 Forward Forward Saturation

𝑉𝐵𝐸 < 0, 𝑉𝐵𝐶 < 0 Reverse Reverse Cut-off

𝑉𝐵𝐸 < 0, 𝑉𝐵𝐶 > 0 Reverse Forward Reverse-active

Applied voltages E-B junction bias (PNP) C-B junction bias (PNP) Mode (PNP)

𝑉𝐸𝐵 > 0, 𝑉𝐶𝐵 < 0 Forward Reverse Forward-active

𝑉𝐸𝐵 > 0, 𝑉𝐶𝐵 > 0 Forward Forward Saturation

𝑉𝐸𝐵 < 0, 𝑉𝐶𝐵 < 0 Reverse Reverse Cut-off

𝑉𝐸𝐵 > 0, 𝑉𝐶𝐵 < 0 Reverse Forward Reverse-active

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BJT operating regions

By AlexHe34 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19006081

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BJT operating regions

Potential applications

BJT operating region Application

Amplifying stages, control circuits (the
Forward-active
transistor operates as a transconductor)
Switching (the transistor operates as a
Saturation, cut-off
switch)
Reverse-active Unused

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
operating regions

VDS VGS - VTH

Source Gate Drain Source Gate Drain
VGS VTH VGS VTH Channell
(inversion layer)

P+ N+ N+ P+ N+ N+

depletion region
depletion region
P substrate P substrate

Linear operating region (ohmic mode)

VDS = VGS - VTH VDS VGS - VTH

Source Gate Drain Source Gate Drain
VGS VTH VGS VTH

P+ N+ N+ P+ N+ N+

P substrate P substrate
pinched-off channel

Saturation mode at point of pinch-off Saturation mode

By Olivier Deleage and Peter Scott - Modified with permission from an original by Olivier
Deleage, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3689685

A. Cracan (TUIASI ETTI) FEC Course 02 2018 7 / 11

MOSFET operating regions

Applied voltages Inversion layer state Channel continuity Mode (NMOS)

𝑉𝐺𝑆 > 𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑁 , 𝑉𝐷𝑆 > 𝑉𝐺𝑆 − 𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑁 Formed Pinched-off Saturation (active)

𝑉𝐺𝑆 > 𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑁 , 𝑉𝐷𝑆 < 𝑉𝐺𝑆 − 𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑁 Formed Complete Triode

𝑉𝐺𝑆 < 𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑁 , 𝑉𝐷𝑆 = ∗ Depleted Broken Cut-off

Applied voltages Inversion layer state Channel continuity Mode (PMOS)

𝑉𝑆𝐺 > |𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑃 | , 𝑉𝑆𝐷 > 𝑉𝑆𝐺 − |𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑃 | Formed Pinched-off Saturation (active)

𝑉𝑆𝐺 > |𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑃 | , 𝑉𝑆𝐷 < 𝑉𝑆𝐺 − |𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑃 | Formed Complete Triode

𝑉𝑆𝐺 < |𝑉𝑇 𝐻𝑃 | , 𝑉𝑆𝐷 = ∗ Depleted Broken Cut-off

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MOSFET operating regions

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MOSFET operating regions

Potential applications

MOSFET operating region Application

Amplifying stages, control circuits (the
Saturation (active)
transistor operates as a transconductor)
Switching (the transistor operates as a
closed switch), control circuits (the
Triode
transistor operates as a controlled
resistor)
Switching (the transistor operates as an
Cut-off
open switch)

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Notes

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