Field Effect Transistor (FET)

Field effect transistor (FET)

 Field effect transistor is a three terminal semiconductor device. There are two types
of such devices,

1. MOSFET (Metal Oxide semiconductor FET) and

2. JFET (Junction FET).

Features of FET

 An important feature of the FET is simpler to fabricate and occupies less space on the
chip than BJT. Resulting component density can be extremely high, often exceeding
100,000 MOSFETs per chip.

 A second desirable property is that MOS devices can be connected as resistors and
capacitors. This makes possible the design of system consisting exclusively of
MOSFETs and no other components. Exploiting these features makes MOSFETs
dominant device in very large-scale integrated circuits (VLSI) systems.

 FET is a majority carrier device. Its operation depends on the use of an applied
electric field to control device current. Thus FET is a voltage controlled current
source.

The Enhancement MOSFET

MOSFET is obtained by using a metal gate separated by an oxide layer (SiO 2) from the
semiconductor channel. Channel characteristics are controlled by an electric field
established by applying the voltage between the gate and body of the semiconductor and
transmitted through the insulation layer.

There are tow types of MOS transistors.

 Depletion MOSFET

 Enhancement MOSFET

1. Depletion MOSFET

This device has maximum current at zero gate voltage and fixed drain voltage and
then current decreases with applied gate potential of proper polarity.

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 For a depletion NMOS transistor, the channel conducts even if VGS =0.

 If the value of VGS is positive, the channel is further enhanced. That is, more
free electrons are attracted to the channel, and its conductivity increases.

 If the VGS is negative, free electrons are repelled from the channel. The
conductivity of the channel is thus decreased. We call this phenomenon
channel depletion.

 If the value of the VGS is sufficiently negative, all of the free electrons in the
channel will be repelled-the channel is said to be completely depleted.

 A channel that is completely depleted cannot conduct. In other words, the

depletion MOSFET is in cutoff.

 Thus, the negative value of VGS at which the channel is completely depleted is
the threshold voltage Vt for a depletion NMOS device. In other words, to have
a conducting channel, the gate-to-source voltage VGS must be greater than the
threshold voltage Vt.

VGS > Vt

VGS - Vt >0

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Enhancement MOSFET

This device exhibits no current at zero gate voltage and the magnitude of the output
current increases with an increase in the magnitude of the gate potential.

Both types can exist in either p-, or n-channel variety.

Enhancement MOS structure

Simplified form of the structure of an n-channel enhancement MOSFET is shown in

Fig 1 and that for p-channel device depicted in Fig 2. The physical principles that govern
MOSFET operation are same for both types of gate. The metal area of the gate, in
conjunction with the insulating dielectric oxide layer and the semiconductor channel, form
a parallel-plate capacitor. The insulating layer of silicon dioxide is the reason why this

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device is also called the insulated-gate field effect transistor (IGFET). This layer results in
an extremely high input resistance (1010 to 1015) for the MOSFET.

Enhancement (MOS-FET) structure

Fig 1 n channel Fig 2 p channel

Physical behavior of the Enhancement MOSFET

Biased NMOS enhancement transistor showing induced channel is given below with VDS=0
and VDS>0

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 The positive voltage applied to the gate establishes electric field which is directed
perpendicular through oxide. This filed induces negative charges near the
semiconductor surface.

 Since p-type substrate contains very few electronics, the positive surface charges are
primarily electrons obtained from the n-type source and drain.

 These mobile charges form an inversion layer. Such inversion layer is formed only if
VGS exceeds a threshold level VT (ie., VGS> VT)The induced charges beneath the oxide
constitute an n-channel.

 As the voltage on the gate increases beyond VT, the number of induced negative
charges in the semiconductor increases. Consequently, the conductivity of the channel
increases.

 Application of a positive potential between drain and source produce current in the
induced channel between drain and source.

 Hence drain current is enhanced by positive gate voltage and device is called an
enhancement type MOSFET.

 Transfer characteristics are shown in the figure.

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Enhancement NMOS transfer characteristics

Output characteristics

Enhancement NMOS output characteristics

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Early voltage

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MOSFET small signal model

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