Chapter 7 - Solid State Voltage Amplifiers

Abstract

The chapter focuses on various solid-state device technologies that are available to amplifier designers. Bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), junction diodes, junction field-effect transistors (FETs), and insulated gate FETs, usually referred to as metal oxide silicon FETs (MOSFETs), are some of these technologies. Junction transistors are three-layer devices, fabricated by the multiple and simultaneous vapor phase diffusion and etching of small and intricate patterns on a large, thin slice of very high-purity single-crystal silicon. There are three basic ways of providing a DC quiescent voltage bias to a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). The chapter presents these methods, along with basic junction transistor circuit configurations. Junction field-effect transistors, it features, and the potential problem of slew rate limiting are discussed in the chapter. Slew rate limiting can occur in any voltage amplifier or other signal handling stage, in which an element of load capacitance is associated with a drive circuit whose output current has a finite limit.