Which one of the following statements iscorrect?In a transistor, the r...
Transistor and Reverse Saturation Current
The reverse saturation current (ICO) is an important parameter in a transistor, particularly in the base-emitter junction of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). ICO is the current that flows when the base-emitter junction is reverse-biased.
Effect of Temperature on Reverse Saturation Current
The reverse saturation current in a transistor is influenced by temperature. As the temperature increases, the ICO also increases. The correct statement among the given options is "doubles for every 10°C rise in temperature" (option A).
Explanation
When a transistor is reverse-biased, a small leakage current called the reverse saturation current flows through the base-emitter junction. This current is mainly due to the minority carriers (holes in the N-type material and electrons in the P-type material) present in the junction.
The reverse saturation current is affected by temperature because the thermal energy increases the number of minority carriers available for conduction. As the temperature rises, more electron-hole pairs are generated due to thermal excitation, resulting in an increase in the number of minority carriers available for conduction.
Effect of Temperature on Reverse Saturation Current - Quantitative Explanation
The reverse saturation current approximately doubles for every 10°C rise in temperature. This behavior can be described by the Arrhenius equation:
ICO = ICO0 * exp((qVBE) / (kT))
Where:
- ICO is the reverse saturation current at a given temperature,
- ICO0 is the reverse saturation current at a reference temperature (usually 25°C),
- q is the charge of an electron,
- VBE is the reverse bias voltage across the base-emitter junction,
- k is the Boltzmann constant, and
- T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.
By analyzing the exponential term, it can be observed that a temperature increase of 10°C leads to a doubling of the reverse saturation current.
Therefore, the correct statement is that the reverse saturation current (ICO) doubles for every 10°C rise in temperature.