6.6.6 The Common-Collector Amplifier or Emitter Follower
The last of the basic BJT amplifier configurations is the common-collector amplifier, a very
important circuit that finds frequent application in the design of both small-signal amplifiers
and amplifiers that are required to handle large signals and deliver substantial amounts of
signal power to a load. This latter variety will be studied in Chapter 11. As well, the common collector
amplifier is utilized in a significant family of digital logic circuits (Chapter 14).
The circuit is more commonly known by the alternative name emitter follower; the reason
for this will become apparent shortly.
The Need for Voltage Buffers Before delving into the analysis of the emitter follower, it is
useful to look at one of its most common applications. Consider the situation depicted in Fig.
6.54(a). A signal source delivering a signal of reasonable strength (200 mV) with an internal
resistance of 100 kΩ is to be connected to a 1-kΩ load resistance. Connecting the source to
the load directly as in Fig. 6.54(b) would result in severe attenuation of the signal; the signal
appearing across the load will be only 1 ⁄ (100 + 1) of the input signal, or about 2 mV.
An alternative course of action is suggested in Fig. 6.54(c). Here we have interposed an
amplifier between the source and the load. Our amplifier, however, is unlike the amplifiers
we have been studying in this chapter thus far; it has a voltage gain of unity. This is because
our signal is already of sufficient strength and we do not need to increase its amplitude.
Note, however, that our amplifier has an input resistance of 100 kΩ thus half the input signal
(100 mV) will appear at the input of the amplifier proper. Since the amplifier has a low output resistance (10 Ω ), 99% of this signal (99 mV) will appear at the output. This is a significant
improvement over the situation with the source connected directly to the load. As
will be seen shortly, the emitter follower can easily implement the unity-gain buffer amplifier
shown in Fig. 6.54(c).