FET

Contents
 Bipolar Junction Transistors versus Field Effect
Transistors
 Junction Field Effect Transistors
 Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistors
 Differences between JFETs and MOSFETs
 Handling MOSFETs
 Biasing MOSFETs
 FET Applications
 CMOS Devices
 Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)
FET: Three terminal device in which the conduction
path is controlled by an electric field established by
the carriers present in the device.

Terminals of FET
1. Drain
2. Source
3. Gate
Difference between FET and BJT
SL. No. Parameters Bipolar Junction Field Effect Transistor
Transistor (BJT) (FET)
1 Device Type Bipolar Device Unipolar Device
2. Control Type Current Controlled Voltage Controlled
devices devices

3. Configuration Common-Emitter Common-Source

Common-Collector Common-Drain
Common-Base Common-Gate
4. Types Available n-p-n and p-n-p JFET and MOSFET in n-
channel & p-channel
5 Size Bigger Smaller
6 Input Impedance Less (1MΩ) High(100MΩ)
SL. No. Parameters Bipolar Junction Field Effect Transistor
Transistor (BJT) (FET)
7 Gain and Low High
Bandwidth
Product
8 Sensitivity to More sensitive to Less sensitive to changes
applied changes in applied in applied voltage
voltage voltage
9 Handling Easy to handle More sensitive to handle

10 Thermal Less stable More stable

Stability
11 Thermal Present Not present
Runaway
12 Applications Audio amplifiers, Fabrication of IC’s
switches switches
 JFET [Junction Field Effect Transistor]
 There are two types of JFET
 N-channel JFET
 P-channel JFET
Construction:
JFET comprises of semiconductor channel embedded
into semiconductor layers of opposite polarity.
In absence of external voltage, the two PN junctions are
reverse biased.
 Operation
Case 1 : VGS=0, VDS =+ve

Fig. N channel JFET with VGS=0 and positive value of VDS

Working:
 ID increases linearly with increase in VDS till VDS
reaches VP(pinch-off voltage)
 Saturation effect sets in
 IDSS-drain to source current for short circuit
connection between gate and source.
 For VDS>VP, JFET has characteristics of a constant
current source
Ohmic region
Case 2 : VGS=-ve, VDS =+ve
Working:
When VGS=-ve, depletion region increases.
Pinch-off occurs at lower values of VDS.
The value of saturation drain current decreases.
ID=zero(0) for VGS=-VP.
This voltage is referred as gate-source cut-off voltage or
gate-source pinch-off voltage (VGS(off)).
(VGS(off)) decreases in parabolic manner with VGS
becoming more negative.
Operating regions of JFET

1. Ohmic region (voltage-controlled resistance

region)
 Region to the left of the locus of pinch-off voltage.
 JFET acts as a variable resistor (resistance is controlled
by gate-source voltage).
2. Saturation region(constant current region)
 Region to the right of the locus of the VP.
 The drain resistance (rd) is given by
where
ro-resistance at VGS=0;
rd- resistance at particular value of VGS
Vp-pinch-off voltage.
Shockley’s equation
Relationship between ID and VGS in saturation region is
given by

Non linear square law relationship exists between ID and

VGS because of which it is used in radio tuners and TV
receivers
3. Breakdown region
Constant Current Source region
 Effect of Temperature on JFET
Parameters

T Depletion region Channel width ID

results in +ve temperature co-efficient
T Depletion region Carrier mobility ID
results in -ve temperature co-efficient
Effect of one compensates for the other.
Hence, JFETS offer better temperature stability
compared to BJTs.
 MOSFET(Metal Oxide Field Effect
Transistor)

 Also called as Insulated Gate Field Effect

Transistors.
 Three terminal device
 Drain current is controlled by applied gate voltage

MOSFET are classified into 2 types

 DE-MOSFET
 E-MOSFET
 Depletion MOSFET
Depletion MOSFETs are of two types
N-channel De MOSFET
P-channel De MOSFET

Fig. cross section of an N-channel Fig. cross section of an P-channel

DE-MOSFET DE-MOSFET
Circuit Symbol

Fig. N-channel DE-MOSFET

Fig. P-channel DE-MOSFET
 Case 1: When VGS=0, VDS=+ve
Case 2: When VGS=-ve and VDS=+ve
Case 3: VGS=+ve and VDS=+ve
Fig. Output characteristics curves of N-channel DE-MOSFET
 Enhancement MOSFETs
Cross section of n-channel E-MOSFET
Circuit Symbol
 Operation of N-channel E-MOSFET

Case 1: VGS=0 and VDS=+ve

ID(drain current)=0, since no channel is available

for current to flow.

Normally E-MOSFETs are called as OFF MOSFETs

as they do not conduct when VGS=0
Case 2: VGS=+ve and VDS=+ve
 When VGS=+ve, it induces channel by drawing the
electrons in the P-type substrate.
 ID flows
 The level of VGS that leads to the flow of ID is referred
to as threshold voltage (V T)
 For fixed VGS, increasing VDS, ID increases initially and
then eventually saturates due to the reduction in gate
drain voltage(VGD).
 Reduction in VGD reduces the attractive force of
carriers- Pinching effect.
 The value of VDS at which drain current saturates is
given by VDS(sat).

Fig: Pinching phenomenon in E-MOSFET

Fig: Output characteristics curves for an N-channel E-MOSFET
The relationship between VDS(sat) and VGS is given by
VDS(sat) = VGS –V T
For VGS < V T.
ID =0
For VGS> V T
ID=K(VGS-V T)2
K-constant
Difference between JFETs and MOSFETs
JFET
Does not contain Sio2 layer
Operated in depletion mode only
Higher drain resistance
Range 100KΩ - 1MΩ
Lower input resistance
Range 1GΩ – 10GΩ
Leakage gate current is more
Not widely used since difficult to
construct
MOSFET
Contains Sio2 layer
DE-MOSFET operated in both
depletion and enhancement mode
E-MOSFET operates in enhancement
mode only
Lower drain resistance
Range 1KΩ – 50KΩ
Higher input resistance
Range 1013Ω - 1015Ω
Leakage gate current is less
Widely used- easily constructed
 FET APPLICATIONS
Because of high value of input impedance, FETs are ideal
for many applications
 Amplifiers
 Analog Switch
 Multiplexers
 Current Limiters
 Voltage-Variable Resistors (VVRs)
 Oscillators
Amplifiers:
FETs are widely used as
Input amplifiers: in oscilloscopes, electronic
voltmeters and other test and measuring
instruments
Low-noise amplifiers: front-end of receivers and
other electronic equipments and systems
Buffer-amplifiers: to isolate the preceding stage
from the following stage
Analog Switch: In N-channel JFET
when VGG=0: saturation region : closed switch (FET:on)
when VGG=-ve: cut-off region: open switch (FET:off)
Multiplexers:
Input: drain
Control: gate
when gate -> 0, that input is transmitted to output
The control input of other channels is made more
negative than VGS(off). Hence they are blocked
Current Limiters
When load current increases due to short circuit or
any other reason, JFET operates in saturation region
acting as a constant current source and prevents
excessive current through the load
Voltage-Variable Resistors (VVRs)
FETs acts as VVRs in ohmic region
The drain resistance RD can be controlled by VGS.
In N-channel JFET, RD -Ve VGS
Oscillators:

Phase shift oscillators: that produces sine wave

output and output fed back to its input
through a phase-shift network consisting of
resistors and capacitors.

Pierce oscillators: crystal oscillators

 Handling Mosfets
 The presence of Sio2, makes MOSFETs prone to
damage, if not handled properly
 A person accumulates static charges from his
surroundings.
 When that person handles the device, it leads to
potential difference across Sio2. Sio2 breaks and
establishing conduction though it.
Precautions to be taken while handling MOSFETs
1. Shorting ring (conducting foil) is connected to all
three leads of the device until the device is inserted
into the system.
It prevents the development of potential difference
between any two devices.

2. The person should touch ground before using device

to discharge the accumulated charges
3. While soldering shorting strap has to be used to
discharge static electric city and tip of the soldering
iron should be grounded
4. MOSFET should always be held from the casing
5. MOSFETs are inserted or removed with supply off
7. Connect Zener-doides back-to-back between the
gate and source terminals so that VGS never exceeds
specified maximum ratings which prevents MOSFET
from damage
 Disadvantage: input
impedance of the MOSFET
is reduced

Use of Zener diodes to protect E-MOSFET

CMOS-Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor
 Both P-type and N-type E-MOSFETs are diffused onto
the same chip
 Advantages:
 Offers high input impedance
 Low power consumption
 Requires less space compared to BJTs.
 Disadvantages:
 Slower switching speed as compared to BJTs
CMOS Inverter construction:
 N type and P type E-MOSFETs are connected in series
 Gate terminals are tied together to form the input
terminal
 Drain terminals are connected to form the output
terminal
 Source of P-channel MOSFET(S2) is connected to VSS
 Source of N-channel MOSFET(S1) is connected to
ground
Input: Logic HIGH=VSS
VGS of Q2 =0V
Q2 off

VGS of Q1 =VSS
Q1 on
Output=LOGIC LOW=0 V
Input: Logic LOW=0V
VGS of Q2 =-VSS
Q2 on

VGS of Q1 =0V
Q1 off
Output=LOGIC HIGH= VSS
IGBT- Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
 Tree terminal power semiconductor devices
 Have positive attributes of both BJTs and MOSFETs.
MOSFETs
Fast switching times
turn on & turn off time-small
BJT
lower on state voltage
larger blocking voltages
Operation:
V TH: Threshold voltage
VGE-Gate-emitter voltage
Case 1:VGE<V TH
No inversion layer
Device off
Case 2: VGE>V TH
Inversion layer formation
Device on
Features of output characteristics of IGBT
0.7 offset from the origin:
Steep slope of rising portion
Turning Off IGBT devices
If VGE is reduced below threshold voltage.
Electrons-stops
Holes-movement
Holes can be removed by recombination or by
applying a voltage gradient.

IGBT with N+ layer- Punch through – Asymmetrical

IGBT without N+ layer- Non Punch through –
Symmetrical
Latch-up phenomenon: Failure mode where IGBT can
no longer turned off by gate voltage

Like MOSFETs, precautions should be taken while

handling IGBT