What is the Difference Between BJT and FET?

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Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) and Field Effect Transistors (FETs) are two types of transistors used in electronic applications. The main differences between them are:

  1. Control Technology: BJTs are current-controlled devices, while FETs are voltage-controlled devices.
  2. Charge Carriers: In BJTs, the current flows due to both majority and minority charge carriers, while in FETs, the current flows due to majority charge carriers only.
  3. Terminals: BJTs have three terminals (emitter, base, and collector), while FETs have three terminals (source, gate, and drain).
  4. Sensitivity: BJTs are more sensitive to changes in the applied voltage, while FETs are less sensitive to variations in the applied voltage.
  5. Power Consumption: FETs consume less power compared to BJTs.
  6. Input Impedance: FETs have a higher input impedance compared to BJTs.
  7. Switching Speed: FETs generally have faster switching speeds than BJTs.
  8. Noise: BJTs produce more noise than FETs.
  9. Types: BJTs are of two types, NPN transistors and PNP transistors, while FETs are of two types, N-channel FET and P-channel FET.
  10. Voltage Drop: BJTs have a higher voltage drop, while FETs have a lower voltage drop.
  11. Immunity to Radiation: FETs are more immune to radiation than BJTs.
  12. Thermal Stability: BJTs have lower thermal stability compared to FETs.

In summary, BJTs are current-controlled devices that use both majority and minority charge carriers for current flow and have a higher voltage drop, while FETs are voltage-controlled devices that use majority charge carriers for current flow and have a lower voltage drop. FETs typically consume less power, have higher input impedance, and faster switching speeds compared to BJTs.

Comparative Table: BJT vs FET

The following table highlights the main differences between Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) and Field Effect Transistors (FET):

Parameter BJT FET
Full Form Bipolar Junction Transistor Field Effect Transistor
Control Element Current-controlled device Voltage-controlled device
Types NPN transistor and PNP transistor N-channel FET and P-channel FET
Configuration Common emitter (CE), common base (CB), and common collector (CC) Common source (CS), common gate (CG), and common drain (CD)
Size Large in size, requiring more space Smaller in size, taking up less space on a chip
Input Impedance Lower input impedance Higher input impedance
Output Impedance Lower output impedance Higher output impedance
Current Flow Due to both electrons and holes (bipolar transistor) Due to majority charge carriers (unipolar transistor)
PN Junctions Has PN junctions (emitter-base junction and collector-base junction) Does not have PN junctions between source and drain
Applications Used as a switch (in saturation and cut-off region) and amplifier (in active region) Used as a switch (in Ohmic and cut-off region)

Both BJT and FET are transistors used in various electronic applications, but they have different characteristics and work on different principles.