MICROCONTROLLER BASED VARIABLE GATE VOLTAGE

FOR MOSFETs










NURIPAIZAIL BIN AHMAD










UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PAHANG
















I hereby acknowledge that the scope and quality of this thesis is qualified for the
award of the Bachelor Degree of Electrical Engineering (Electronics)



Signature : ______________________________________________

Name : RAMDAN BIN RAZALI

Date : 17 NOVEMBER 2008

MICROCONTROLLER BASED VARIABLE GATE VOLTAGE
FOR MOSFETs




NURIPAIZAIL BIN AHMAD



A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Power System)



Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang


NOVEMBER 2008




ii







All the trademark and copyrights use herein are property of their respective owner.
References of information from other sources are quoted accordingly; otherwise the
information presented in this report is solely work of the author.




Signature : ____________________________

Author : NURIPAIZAIL BIN AHMAD

Date : 17 NOVEMBER 2008













iii






Specially dedicated to
My beloved mother, brothers
Supervisor, lecturers, staffs and
Friends




Thousands of thanks for helping, attentions,
Supports and encouragement.













iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT




I am grateful to Allah SWT, the most powerful and the merciful on His
blessing of giving the opportunity to complete this project successfully. I wish to
express my sincere appreciation to my projects advisor Mr. Ramdan Bin Razali for
his guidance, encouragement and supports.

I am also thankful to my housemates, lecture mates and friends for their
helping hand, encouragement and knowledge sharing. Throughout the period of
accomplishing this project, those persons are very helpful on providing me lot of
brilliant ideas. Other than that, they are also always helping me on troubleshooting
the circuit.

My special thanks are also goes to my beloved mother, brothers and sisters.
They are never stop from supporting me on whatever I am doing. They are always
motivating me to work hard and give me spiritual inspiration. With their concern,
everything is going to be good and smooth. Thanks to all.









v

ABSTRACT



Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor, MOSFETs are important
and expansive switching devices in many power electronic circuit applications.
MOSFETs require adequate pulses at its gate terminal in order to work properly. The
amount of current going through the source and drain terminals is controlled by the
magnitude pulses supplied. Normally, the magnitude of gate pulses is fixed and set to
a nearly maximum allowable current of MOSFET. The problem with fixed type gate
pulses is whenever overload occurs; the MOSFETs may experience very high current
and thus working beyond their safe operating area (SOA). This situation might
destroy the MOSFET. This project is implement base on PIC16F84A to generate
PWM. The IR2109 use provide variable magnitude of PWM pulses and then to drive
the based gate of the MOSFET. IR2109 is selected because of its ability to withstand
high voltage input.












vi

ABSTRAK




Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor, MOSFET merupakan
suis elektronik yang amat penting dan mahal. Ianya banyak digunakan dalam aplikasi
litar elektronik kuasa. MOSFET memerlukan dedenyut yang mencukupi pada
terminal gate untuk membolehkannya berfungsi dengan sempurna. Jumlah arus yang
melepasi terminal source dan drain dikawal oleh magnitud dedenyut yang
dibekalkan kepadanya. Normalnya, magnitud dedenyut yang dibekalkan di terminal
gate adalah malar dan ditetapkan kepada arus maksimum yang boleh diterima oleh
MOSFET. Masalah dengan magnitud dedenyut ini adalah, apabila berlaku lebihan
beban, MOSFET akan berhadapan dengan jumlah arus yang besar melebihi
kemampuannya dan menyebabkan ia beroperasi di luar zon selamat. Situasi ini akan
menyebabkan MOSFET musnah. Projek ini akan menggunakan aplikasi PIC 16F84A
untuk menghasilkan dedenyut manakala IR2109 digunakan untuk menghasilkan
dedenyut yang berubah-ubah magnitudnya. Dedenyut ini akan digunakan untuk
mengawal MOSFET. IR 2109 dipilih kerana kebolehannya untuk beroperasi dengan
nilai voltan yang tinggi.









vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS




CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

TITLE i
DECLARATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
ABSTRACT v
ABSTRAK vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiii
LIST OF APPENDICES xiv

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Problem Statement 2
1.3 Objective 3
1.4 scope of Project 4

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5
2.1 The Construction of MOSFET 5
2.2 Modes of Operation of MOSFETs 7

viii

2.2.1 Cut-off or Sub-threshold or Weak
Inversion Mode
7
2.2.2 Triode Mode or Linear Region (also
referred to as the Ohmic Mode)
9
2.2.3 Saturation Mode (also referred to as the
Active Mode)
10
2.3 MOSFETs driver circuit 12
2.3.1 Introduction 12
2.3.2 Bipolar Totem-Pole driver 12
2.3.3 Integrated Circuit Gate Driver 13

3 METHODOLOGY 15
3.1 Overall System Design 15
3.2 Power supply 16
3.2.1 Full Wave Rectification Using Center-
tapped Transformer
18
3.2.2 Voltage Regulation 20
3.3 Peripheral Interface Controller (PIC) 22
3.4 Driver Circuit 25
3.5 MOSFET 28
3.6 Problems and Solutions 29

4 RESULT AND ANALYSIS 30
4.1 Introduction 30
4.2 Gate Driver Output 30
4.3 PIC 16F84A 31
4.4 DC Power Supply 32

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 37
5.1 Conclusion 37
5.2 Future Recommendations 37
5.3 Costing and Commercialization 38

REFERENCES 39
APPENDIX A 40
APPENDIX B1 42
ix

APPENDIX B2 59
APPENDIX C 63
x

LIST OF TABLES




TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE

3.1 Various type of IC regulator 20
3.2 Switch and duty cycle 24
3.3 Pin definition of IR2109 27
3.4 Maximum rating of IRF 740 28
3.5 Problems and solution 29
4.1 Relationship of gate voltage to gate-to-source
voltage.VGS
35
xi

LIST OF FIGURES



FIGURE NO. TITLE

PAGE
1.1 Problem statement 3
2.1 Cross-section and circuit symbol of an n-type
Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor-Field-Effect-
Transistor (MOSFET)
6
2.2 MOSFET drain current vs. drain-to-source voltage
for several values of VGS Vth.
9
2.3 Cross section of a MOSFET operating in the linear
(Ohmic) region.
10
2.4 Cross section of a MOSFET operating in the
saturation (active) region.
12
2.5 Totem-pole gate driver 13
2.6 Example of IC gate driver 14
3.1 Block diagram 16
3.2 DC power supply 17
3.3 Center-tapped transformer full-wave rectifier 18
3.4 Positive half AC cycle 19
3.5 Negative half AC cycle. 19
3.6 Example of RC filter 21
3.7 3.7: Actual power supply 21 21
3.8 Pin diagram of PIC16F84A 22
3.9 PIC connection 23
3.10 IR2109 driver 25
3.11 Pins diagram 25
xii










3.12 Gate driver connection 26
3.13 (a) Input, IN (b) Output, HO (c) Output, L 27
3.14 IRF 740 28
4.1 Output of PIC 16F84A (50% duty cycle) 31
4.2 Output of PIC 16F84A (25% duty cycle) 32
4.3 Gate driver output, 34
4.4 Graph of Gate-to-source voltage, V
GS
versus gate
voltage
36
xiii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS





MOSFET - Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor
PWM - Pulse width modulation
PIC - Peripheral interface controller
IC - Integrated circuit
V
GS
- Gate-to-source voltage
V
TH
- Threshold voltage
IR - International Rectifier







xiv

LIST OF APPENDICES





APPENDIX TITLE

PAGE
A PIC Programming 40
B1 Datasheet PIC 16F84A 42
B2 Datasheet IR 2109 59
C Cost of project 63
xv


1

CHAPTER 1



INTRODUCTION



1.1 Overview

MOSFET is a power electronics device that operated with high frequency and
high efficiency switching application in electronics industry. MOSFET is categorized
as Field Effect Transistor, FET family. FET technology was invented in 1930, some
20 years before the bipolar transistor. The first signal level FET transistors were built
in the late 1950s while power MOSFETs have been available from the mid70s.
Today, millions of MOSFET transistors are integrated in modern electronic
components, from microprocessors, through discrete power transistors [1].

MOSFET are widely used in analog and digital circuits. The MOSFET is
composed of a channel of n-type or p-type semiconductor material and is accordingly
called an NMOSFET or PMOSFET (also commonly nMOSFET, pMOSFET) [2].
MOSFET is three terminal devices. The terminals are gate, drain and source.
2

As stated earlier, MOSFET is one of FET family. FET is different with

Bipolar Junction Transistor, BJT. The major different between them are BJT is a
current-controlled device, whereas FET is a voltage-controlled device. In other
words, for BJT collector current, I
C
is a direct function of the level of base current, I
b
.
For the FET the drain current, I
D
will be a function of the gate-source voltage, V
GS
.
In each case the current of the output circuit is controlled by a parameter of the input
circuit-in one case a current level and in the other an applied voltage [3]. From this
statement, in order to make the MOSFET function the adequate voltage has to be
supplied to its gate. The focus of this project is to variable the gate voltage that being
supplied to the gate of the MOSFET.



1.2 Problem Statement

Normal MOSFET that used nowadays has a fix value of gate voltage. Other
than that, it was also set nearly maximum allowable current of MOSFETs. The
problem with fix variable gate voltage are, whenever overload occurs, the
MOSFETs may experience very high current and thus working beyond their Safety
Operating Area (SOA). This situation of overloading might destroy the MOSFET.

Figure 1.1: Problem statement

In this project the variable gate voltage of MOSFET was implemented. The
advantages with variable gate voltage are the current flowing through the MOSFET
can be variable, prolong life of MOSFET and the MOSFET can be implement to
drive low and high current loads.




1.3 Objective

The objectives of this project are:
I. To find a method on how the variable magnitude pulse gate could be
implemented.
II. To understand the switching behaviour of MOSFETs.


4

1.4 scope of Project

The scopes of work of this project are:
I. Set up the power supply:
The power supply that being used are 5V and 15V. 5V power supply is
used to supply the voltage to Programmable Integrated Controller, PIC
whereas 15V power supply is used to ON the MOSFET.

II. Write the program of PIC:
PIC is used to produce Pulse Width Modulation, PWM by coding the
PIC.

III. Set up the driver circuit for MOSFET:
Driver circuit is used to drive the MOSFET. In other to function,
MOSFET require adequate pulse that fed by driver circuit.

CHAPTER 2




LITERATURE REVIEW




2.1 The Construction of MOSFET
The n-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor (nMOSFET)
consists of a source and a drain, two highly conducting n-type semiconductor
regions, which are isolated from the p-type substrate by reversed-biased p-n diodes.
A metal or poly-crystalline gate covers the region between source and drain. The
gate is separated from the semiconductor by the gate oxide [4]. The basic structure of
an n-type MOSFET and the corresponding circuit symbol are shown in Figure 2.

t
b
t
i
L
u
a
b
w
d
Figure 2.1 :
As c
the applied v
becomes the
the drain. T
substrate, by
indicated Fig
A co
Lilienfeld an
until 1960.
surface state

applying a n
between sou
"depletion-m


which do no
devices are
:Cross-secti
Semicondu
can be seen o
voltages, wh
e source, whi
The voltages
y means of
gure 2 [4].
onceptually s
nd Heil in
The main t
es at the oxid
Initially, it
negative vo
urces and dr
mode" device
A reductio
ot have a co
referred to a
on and circu
uctor-Field-E
on the figur
hich determin
ile the other
s applied to
a back cont
similar struc
1930, but th
echnologica
de-semicond
t was only p
oltage to the
rain even w
es [4].
on of the su
onducting ch
as "enhance
uit symbol of
Effect-Trans
re the source
ne which n-t
n-type regio
the drain a
tact, are ref
ture was pro
he MOSFET
al problem w
ductor interfa
possible to d
e gate. Such
when no gate
urface states
hannel unles
ment-mode"
f an n-type M
istor (MOSF
e and drain r
type region p
on receives t
and gate ele
ferred to the
oposed and p
T was not s
was the con
ace.
deplete an ex
h devices ha
e voltage is
s enabled th
ss a positive
" devices. Th
Metal-Oxide
FET)
regions are i
provides the
the electrons
ectrode as w
source pote
patented inde
successfully
ntrol and red
xisting n-typ
ave a condu
applied. Th
he fabricatio
e voltage is
he electrons
e-
identical. It
e electrons an
s and becom
well as to th
ential, as als
ependently b
demonstrate
duction of th
pe channel b
ucting chann
hey are calle
on of device
applied. Suc
s at the oxid
6
is
nd
mes
he
so
by
ed
he
by
nel
ed
es,
ch
de-
7

semiconductor interface are concentrated in a thin (~10 nm thick) "inversion" layer.

By now, most MOSFETs are "enhancement-mode" devices [4].
While a minimum requirement for amplification of electrical signals is power
gain, one finds that a device with both voltage and current gain is a highly desirable
circuit element. The MOSFET provides current and voltage gain yielding an output
current into an external load, which exceeds the input current, and an output voltage
across that external load which exceeds the input voltage [4].
The current gain capability of a Field-Effect-Transistor (FET) is easily
explained by the fact that no gate current is required to maintain the inversion layer
and the resulting current between drain and source. The device has therefore an
infinite current gain in dc. The current gain is inversely proportional to the signal
frequency, reaching unity current gain at the transit frequency [4].
The voltage gain of the MOSFET is caused by the current saturation at higher
drain-source voltages, so that a small drain-current variation can cause a large drain
voltage variation [4].

2.2 Modes of Operation of MOSFETs

2.2.1 Cut-off or Sub-threshold or Weak Inversion Mode
This phenomenon is occurring when gate-source voltage, V
GS
is less than
threshold voltage, V
th
. According to the basic threshold model, the transistor is
turned off, and there is no conduction between drain and source. In reality, the
Boltzmann distribution of electron energies allows some of the more energetic
electrons at the source to enter the channel and flow to the drain, resulting in a
subthreshold current that is an exponential function of gatesource voltage. While
the current between drain and source should ideally be zero when the transistor is
being used as a turned-off switch, there is a weak-inversion current, sometimes
called subthreshold leakage [2].