Low-current operation of silicon planar transistors

The characteristics of current gain and transconductance are discussed for silicon planar transistors for collector currents ranging from 10¿11 to 10¿3A, and it is shown that useful gain may be obtained at collector currents of 10¿7A or lower. This information can be used to design d.c. amplifiers with very low standing input currents, or alternatively to design complex multitransistor equipments with very low (< 1mA) battery drain, permitting extended operation in unattended or remote situations.