EKT 204

ANALOGUE ELECTRONICS CIRCUITS 1

Power Amplifiers
Syllabus
Power amplifier classification; class A, class B, class
AB and class C, amplifier distortion, transistor power
dissipation, thermal management.

POWER AMPLIFIERS
Part I
Power Transistor
BJT & MOSFET

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Transistor limitations
Maximum rated current,
Maximum rated voltage,
Maximum rated power.
The maximum rated power is related to the maximum
allowable temperature of the transistor.

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BJT

Large-area devices the geometry and doping

concentration are different from those of small-signal
transistors

Examples of BJT rating:

Parameter

Small-signal
BJT
(2N2222A)

Power BJT Power BJT

(2N3055)
(2N6078)

VCE (max) (V)

40

60

250

IC (max) (A)
PD (max) (W)

0.8
1.2

15
115

7
45

35 100

5 20

12 70

fT (MHz)

300

0.8

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BJT

Current gain depends on IC and is smaller in power BJT.

The maximum rated collector current, IC(rated) may be
related to the following:
1. maximum current that the wires connecting the
semiconductor to the external terminals can handle
2. The collector current at which the gain falls below a
minimum specified value

3. current which leads to maximum power dissipation

when the transistor is in saturation.

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Typical dc beta
characteristics
( hFE versus IC)
for 2N3055

BJT

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BJT

The maximum voltage limitation:

Avalanche breakdown in the reverse-biased basecollector junction (involves gain and breakdown at the
p-n junction)
Second breakdown nonuniformities in current
density which inreases temperature in local regions in
semiconductor.

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BJT

Avalanche Breakdown (Figure 1)

In Figure 1, the breakdown voltage when the base
terminal is open-circuited (IB=0) is VCEO, approx. 130V
(Figure 1).
All the curves tend to merge to the same collectoremitter voltage, denoted as VCE(sus) once breakdown
has occurred.
VCE(sus) is the voltage necessary to sustain the
transistor in breakdown.
In Figure 1, VCE(sus) is approx. 115V

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BJT

ICVCE characteristics
showing breakdown
effect

Figure 1

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BJT

The total instantaneous power dissipation in transistor

pQ vCE iC vBEiB
The second term is usually small, hence;

pQ vCE iC
The average power over ONE CYCLE of the signal:

1 T
PQ vCE iC dt
T 0

POWER TRANSISTOR

BJT

The average power dissipated in a BJT must be kept below

a specified maximum value to ensure that the temperature
of the device does not exceed the maximum allowable
value.
If collector current and collector-emitter voltage are dc
quantities, the maximum rated power, PT

PT VCE I C
The power handling ability of a BJT is limited by two factors,
i.e. junction temperature, TJ and second breakdown. Safe
Operating Area (SOA) must be observed, i.e. do not exceed
BJT power dissipation.

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BJT

The safe operating area (SOA) is bounded by IC(max); VCE(sus)

and maximum rated power curve, PT and the transistors
second breakdown characteristics curve (Figure 2)

SOA of a BJT
(linear scale)

Figure 2

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BJT

SOA of a BJT
(log scale)

Figure 3

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EXAMPLE 8.1
Determine the required ratings
(current, voltage and power) of
the BJT.

BJT

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EXAMPLE 8.1 Solution
For VCE 0 the maximum
collector current;

VCC 24
I C max

3A
RL
8
For I C 0 the maximum collectoremitter voltage;

VCE max VCC 24 V

BJT

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BJT

EXAMPLE 8.1 Solution

The load line equation
is;

VCE VCC I C RL
The load line must lie
within the SOA

The transistor power

dissipation;

PT VCE I C VCC I C RL I C VCC I C I C2 RL

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BJT

EXAMPLE 8.1 Solution

dPT
0
The maximum power occurs when
dIC
i.e. when VCC 2 I C RL 0

Differentiating

or when I C 1.5 A
At this point; VCE VCC I C RL 12 V

and;

PT VCE I C 18 W

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BJT

EXAMPLE 8.1 Solution

Thus the transistor ratings are;

I C max 3 A
VCE max 24 V
PT 18 W

In practice, to find a suitable transistor for a given

application, safety factors are normally used. The

transistor with I C max 3 A, VCE max 24 V, PT 18 W

will be required.

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BJT

Physical structure;
Large emitter area to
handle large current
densities
Narrow emitter width to
minimize parasitic base
resistance

Crosssectional
view

May include small

resistors (ballast resistor)
in emitter leg to help
maintain equal currents
in each BE junction.

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