Experiment 5

Transistor Characteristics
Aim:
To study the static characteristics of a Transistor (common emitter configuration)
Apparatus required:
NPN transistor, power supply, voltmeter, ammeter.
Theory:
A transistor is a solid state device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electric
power. A transistor consists of two pn junctions formed by sandwiching either P-type or N-type
semiconductor between a pair of opposite types. There are two types of transistors, namely, N-P-
N transistor and P-N-P transistor. The transistor can be regarded as a combination of two diodes
connected back to back. There are three terminals taken from each type of semiconductor. The
emitter, base and collector are provided with terminals which are labeled as E, B and C. The
symbols employed for P-N-P and N-P-N transistor is as shown below. The arrow head is always
at the emitter (not at the collector) and in each case, its direction indicates conventional direction
of current flow. For a PNP transistor, the arrow head points emitter to base(emitter is positive
with respect to base and also to the collector). And for a NPN transistor, arrow head points base
to emitter(base is positive with respect to emitter and also with collector terminal)
1. Emitter: It forms left hand section of the transistor. It is more heavily doped than any
other regions because its main function is to supply majority charge carriers, either
electrons or holes.(electrons if emitter is N-type and holes if emitter is P-type)
2. Base: It forms the middle section of the transistor. It is very thin (of the order of
10-6m) when compared with other sections, emitter and collector and is very lightly
doped.
3. Collector: It forms the right hand section of the transistor and is lightly doped. Its main
function as the name implies that to collect the majority charge carriers through base. The
collector region is made physically larger when compared with other regions because it
has to dissipate much greater power. And because of this reason, we cannot interchange
the regions emitter to collector and vice versa. However, for the sake of convenience, it is
customary to show emitter and collector to be of equal size.
There are 3 leads in a transistor viz emitter, base and collector terminals, However when
a transistor is to be connected in a circuit, we require four terminals, two for input and two for
the output. It can be done by making one transistor terminal as common to both input and output
terminals. The input is fed between this common terminal and one of the other two terminals.
Accordingly, a transistor can be connected in a circuit in three different ways. Each circuit has its
own advantages and disadvantages.
(i) common base configuration (CB)

(ii) common emitter configuration (CE)
(iii) common collector configuration(CC)
For proper working of a transistor, it is essential to apply voltages of correct polarity

across its two junctions. The proper flow of zero signal collector current and the maintenance of
proper collector-emitter voltage during the passage of signal is known as transistor biasing.
Cutoff mode: both junctions are reverse biased.
Saturation mode: both junctions are forward biased
Active mode: base - emitter junction is forward biased and collector –base is reverse biased.
When the emitter-base junction is forward biased, majority charge carriers are repelled
from the emitter and the junction offers very low resistance to the current and when the collector-
base junction is reverse biased, the majority carriers are attracted and the junction offers a high
resistance to the current.
The fundamental relation between the currents in a transistor circuit can be obtained by
Kirchhoff’s current law and is given by,
IE= IB+Ic
which is true for all types of transistors and of all transistor configurations.
Common Emitter Static Characteristics:
The static characteristicsof a transistor in CE configuration are determined by the

following circuit. A micro ammeter is connected in series with the base to measure IB , base
current. Similarly, a milli ammeter is connected in series to the collector circuit to measure IC,
collector current. A voltmeter is connected across base and emitter terminals for measuring VBE
and second voltmeter is connected across collector-emitter terminals to measure the output of
collector –emitter voltage, VCE . The rheostats R2 and R1 were used to vary the base
voltage(input voltage) and collector voltage(output voltage)
Procedure:
(I). Input Characteristics: It shows how base current, IB varies with changes in VBE when VCE
is kept constant.
1. Switch on the unit. Initially keep the knob R2 to minimum position and adjust the collector
voltage VCE as 5 V by R1 and keep it constant for the whole experiment.
2. Increase the base - emitter voltage VBE in steps, and in each time measure IB.
3. Plot IB (in µA)vs. VBE (in volts)
4. Repeat the above experiment for different values of VCE.
The input impedance of the transistor is defined as the ratio of small change in base-
emitter voltage to the corresponding change in the base current at a given VCE.
The overall shape resembles the forward characteristics of a PN diode and as shown below. The
reciprocal of the slope gives the input resistance Rin of the transistor. Due to initial non-linearity
of the curve Rinvaries considerably from a value of 4kΩ near the origin to a value of 600Ω over
the more linear part of the curve.
II. Output characteristics: It shows how collector current, IC varies with changes in VCEwhen
IB is held constant.
1. Keep the base current, IB to some convenient value (say 20µA) and maintained constant.
2. Increase VCE from zero in steps and measure collector current, IC in each time.
3. Plot Ic (in mA) vs. VCE (in volts)
3. Repeat the above experiment for different values of collector current, IB. and family of curves
are obtained in this way.
The output impendence is defined as the ratio of variation in the collector-emitter voltage
to the corresponding variation in the collector current at a constant base current.
It is seen from the plot that as VCE increases from zero, IC rapidly increases to a near
saturation value of IB. (It is observed that a small collector current flows even when base current
IB is zero which is called common emitter leakage current, ICEO which is equals to (1+β)ICO ,
where ICO is due to the flow of minority carriers across the reverse biased collector base
junction) The value of output resistance over the near horizontal part of the characteristic varies
from 10kΩ to 50kΩ
III. Current transfer characteristics: It shows how collector current IC varies with changes in
IB when VCE is kept constant.
1. Keep collector emitter voltage VCE constant.
2. Increase the base current, IB and measure collector current, IC.
3. Plot the base current IB Vs collector current IC.
4. Repeat the above experiment with different values of VCE .
The current gain is defined as the ratio of a small change in the collector current to the
corresponding change in the base current at constant VCE .
Table. 1. Input Characteristics.
Sl.No. VCE = (V) VCE = (V) VCE = (V)

VBE (V) IB (µA) VBE (V) IB (µA) VBE (V) IB (µA)
Table. 2 Output Characteristics.
Sl.No. IB =(µA) IB =(µA) IB =(µA)

VCE (V) IC (mA) VCE (V) IC (mA) VCE (V) IC (mA)
Table.3 Current Transfer Characteristics.
Sl.No. VCE= (V) VCE= (V) VCE= (V)

IB(µA) IC(mA) IB(µA) IC(mA) IB(µA) IC(mA)
Write a summery and comment on your results

Experiment 5

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Experiment 5

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Experiment 5

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transistor Characteristics

To study the static characteristics of a Transistor (common emitter configuration)

NPN transistor, power supply, voltmeter, ammeter.

(i) common base configuration (CB)

For proper working of a transistor, it is essential to apply voltages of correct polarity

Cutoff mode: both junctions are reverse biased.

Saturation mode: both junctions are forward biased

Common Emitter Static Characteristics:

The static characteristicsof a transistor in CE configuration are determined by the

3. Plot IB (in µA)vs. VBE (in volts)

4. Repeat the above experiment for different values of VCE.

1. Keep collector emitter voltage VCE constant.

2. Increase the base current, IB and measure collector current, IC.

3. Plot the base current IB Vs collector current IC.

4. Repeat the above experiment with different values of VCE .

Sl.No. VCE = (V) VCE = (V) VCE = (V)

Table. 2 Output Characteristics.

Sl.No. IB =(µA) IB =(µA) IB =(µA)

Table.3 Current Transfer Characteristics.

Sl.No. VCE= (V) VCE= (V) VCE= (V)

Write a summery and comment on your results

You might also like