Mahant Sir class notes on Transistor Levels If we consider the MOSFET ( we will look only into the NMOS).

As shown below
D G S

LEVEL-0: The transistor as the switch as shown below

Vg

This model is mainly used in the digital circuits where the only 0(0v) and 1(5v) is applied to the gate of the NMOS. The switch is closed when the gate voltage is applied 5V and it will be open when gate voltage is 0V.
Vg =5v Vg =0v

LEVEL-1: The transistor is modeled as resistance in this model.

Vg

When the gate is on and the Vds is very small compare to the Vgs then we can model channel as the linear resistance. As shown below.
Vg=5V

Vds=0.6V D

As shown in the above figure the channel resistance is distributed through channel equally. We can say current flowing through the channel is directly proportional to the charge present in the channel, when these charges experience electric field then the charges will be accelerated(Due to Vds). But due to the ions placed in the channel the acceleration changes every time, how? Because the free charges will collide with ions and lose their acceleration suddenly. Again they will gain acceleration from behind electron which are accelerated due to the electric field.

Acceleration

Average Time

In above graph the acceleration is changing every time so we will take the average of the acceleration for calculation. That is velocity. I= Q* V I Current Q Charges V Velocity V E so we can write V = k * E where k = some constant (u0 material property that is mobility) Mobility: It is the property of the charge that how quickly it can move through the conductor or the semiconductor. E--> Electric field I = Q * u0 * E

We know that E = Vp / L Where Vp Potential through channel( Due to Vds) and L Channel Length i.e. E= Vds/L Now to calculate the charges.

5v 3v

2v Fig b

Fig a

Consider that if we are going to calculate the charges on the capacitor plates (fig a) Q=C*V Where V = 5V-2V = 3V The same thing will happens in MOSFET where gate and substrate acts like capacitor plates. So Q= Cox * W * (Vgs-vt) Where Vgs represents potential difference between gate and channel. Cox oxide capacitance. Cox = (0*r)/tox. Where 0 permittivity of the vacuum r relative permittivity of the silicon tox oxide thickness. W width of the channel.

Length

W idt

Here we have calculated charges per unit width to get charges through whole channel we will multiply it by W. Permittivity is the measure of how easily an electric field can be passed through the material. Here oxide will act as electrolyte between the capacitor plates. Now we can write that I = u0 * cox * W * (Vgs-vt) * Vds/L LEVEL-2: The transistor modeled as the variable resistance in this model.
Vg

As shown in above diagram we will model transistor as the variable resistor means when the vds is comparatively less than and near to the Vgs-vth. Then we can model this as the variable resistor because when drain voltage starts to increase then the depletion region between drain and substrate starts to increase. Then this depletion region starts to push the channel away from drain so the resistance near the drain will be more compare to near the source(Resistance through channel will not be same at every point). Can be shown as below
Vgs=5V Vds=3V
Eg

Depletion region

n+

n+

p- sub

So we can see the channel as modeled resistances which are increasing from source towards drain. Now as seen in this case the charges through the channel will not be distributed equally due to the increased depletion layer as Vds increases. So the vgs will not be

constant through out the channel. That can be shown as below

Channel Drop Vs length
6

Ideal
Drop
3 Column C Column G

Real

V(L+dl) V(L)

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Length

L+dl

We know that E = Vp / L Where Vp = Potential through channel and L = Channel Length So to find the electric field in this case we can take a slope of the above graph i.e. E= (V(L+dl)-V(L))/((L+dl)-L) So E= dV(l)/dl We know that I = Q * E * u0 Q = ((Vg-vt-V(l)) *Cox* W Where the term (Vg- vt V(l)) represents the potential change along the channel i.e. if we model the channel into resistance we can find that the Vgs of each resistance will vary i.e. as shown below. Here V(l) represents the drop is vary as a function of channel length.

E = dV(l)/dl So we can write the current equation as I= [((Vg-vt-V(l)) *Cox* W] * [dV(l)/dl] * u0 So we can write this equation as I * dl = [((Vg-vt-V(l)) *Cox* W * u0] * dV(l) Now integrating on both side we will get L Vds I * dl = 0 0 [((Vg-vt-V(l)) *Cox* W * u0] * dV(l)

Here for length dl limits are 0 to L(Channel length) and for dV(l) i.e. potential change as a function of length are 0 to the Vds So after integration we will get L Vds 2 [ I *l] = [ (Vg * V(l)) - (vt *V(l)) ((V(l) /2)] * Cox * W * u0 0 0 So I* L i.e. I = u0* Cox* W * [ (Vg-Vds) (vt Vds ) - (Vds2/2)] = u0 * Cox* (W/L) * [ (Vg-vt ) * Vds - (Vds2/2)]

LEVEL-2a: The transistor is modeled as the constant current source.

Here the transistor is modeled as the current source when the Vds in greater than or equal to the vgs-vt.

5V Gnd n+ 5V n+

P-Sub Pinch off

When Vds exceeds Vgst(Vgs-Vt), the depletion region intrudes in to the channel and narrows it. Eventually the channel separate from the drain edge. In this case the transistor said to be as pinched off. This phenomena can also express using vectors, two electric fields are exist in the channel. One is drain to source(due to Vds) and another one is gate to substrate(due to Vgs). Resultant of these two fields produce pinched off channel. Channel is separated from drain, even till the Id(drain current) is present. This happens because, strong electric field placed between the drain and source suck the electrons from the channel. Further increment in the Vds is not going to increase the current because the velocity of the charges become saturated. This term called as 'velocity saturation' . How it is happening? We can ask that increment in the Vds why is not causing to increase the current. As drain become more positive the depletion region propel the channel towards source. This means the length is going to reduce so one parameter is gaining and another parameter is losing, so the ratio will remains same. As we derived before the current through channel is I = u0 * Cox* (W/L) * [ (Vg-vt ) * Vds - (Vds2/2)]

For this model as we seen, after increasing Vds above the Vgs-vt will not increase the current so the equation can be modified by substituting Vds = Vgs-vt I = u0 * Cox* (W/L) * [ (Vg-vt ) * (Vgs-vt) - ((Vgs-Vt)2/2)] i.e. I = u0 * Cox * (W/2L) * [(Vgs-vt) 2]

In this case regardless of Vds the current is constant, so it can be modeled as current source

LEVEL-2b: Back bias, temperature variation and sub threshold conduction. We don't know much about this, have to study on this.