Table of Content

 What is MOSFET ?
 Types of MOSFET
 Working Principle
 Construction
 Characteristics
 Enhancement Type MOSFET
 Depletion Type MOSFET
 Enhancement Type Vs Depletion Type MOSFET
 Uses of MOSFET
 Applications of MOSFET
MOSFET Basics
MOSFET is a very popular kind of IG-FET. The full form of MOSFET is the
Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. The structural diagram of
MOSFET is given below.

In these kinds of devices, the gate terminal is separated from the channel
using the insulating layer. This insulating layer is formed from the oxide layer
of the semiconductor. The insulating layer of MOSFET is formed from SiO2.
What is MOSFET?
Now MOSFET is also classified into two types:-
1. Depletion type
2. Enhancement type
When we provide external voltage in the channel, it can either increase or
decrease the amount of charge carriers in the channel. If the number of
charge carriers increases, it is known as enhancement type MOSFET. But if
the number of charge carriers decrease then it is known as depletion type
MOSFET.
What is FET ?
Now one of those transistors is FET. The full form of FET is a Field Effect
Transistor. It is a three-terminal device that uses the electric field to regulate
and maintain the flow of current. The three terminals are :
1. Gate
2. Drain
3. Source
4. Current flows between two terminals, drain and source. The flow of
current can be controlled by applying external voltage between gate
and source. This external voltage generates electric field in device. So
by controlling electric field and voltage, we can regulate the flow of
current. Thus it is a Voltage Controlled Device. It has many
applications such as Integrated circuits, oscillators and buffer
amplifiers. They are small in size and because of this they are used in
ICs.
5. Now there are two types of FET:-
6. 1. JFET ( Junction Field Effect Transistor)
7. 2. IG-FET (Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor)
Important Terminologies
 Transistor : It is a kind of semiconductor device which can generate
electric current or voltage on its own.
 Gate Terminal : The current conduction between drain and source is
controlled by applying voltage in the gate terminal.
 Threshold voltage : Maximum amount of voltage required for the
formation of channel.
 p-channel : Channel made with p-type semiconductor.
 n-channel : Channel made with n-type semiconductor.
 Saturation : Level in which something becomes constant.
MOSFET Types
Now these enhancement type and depletion type MOSFET is further
classified into p-channel and n-channel MOSFET.

Types of MOSFET
Enhancement Type MOSFET
 In this type of MOSFET, no channel is present from the beginning and
hence no current flows.
 But when the +ve voltage more than the threshold voltage is applied, it
leads to an enhancement of a channel between the drain and source due
to the gate voltage and thus it results in the conductivity of device.
 They are mostly used in digital applications.
Depletion Type MOSFET
 In this type of MOSFET, channel is present from the beginning which
means conduction of current is there.
 -ve voltage is applied to reduce the flow of current and this reduces the
width of the channel.
 Not used commonly in devices.
Working Principle of MOSFET
MOSFET is a type of transistor in which conductivity depends upon the
semiconductor channel across the drain and source terminal. This
semiconductor channel may be p-channel or n-channel depending upon the
configuration of the MOSFET.
A MOSFET consists of three terminals- drain, source and gate. By applying
some voltage across gate and source, there forms a inversion layer or a
channel between the drain and source if the voltage applied is threshold
voltage. (Threshold voltage is the minimum required voltage for the
conduction of current) . If the applied voltage is less than the threshold
voltage, no channel is formed. Hence current cannot flow in the
MOSFET. This situation is called as Cutoff region (OFF).
And after a certain level of voltage, the current becomes constant in the
MOSFET. This condition is called as saturation point. MOSFET is a voltage
controlled device so the thickness of channel and the amount
of current depends upon the voltage applied across gate and source. If more
voltage applied, width of channel increases and more amount of current able
to flow through the device.
MOSFET Construction
MOSFET is a transistor which is used as switch or amplifier and in many other
applications. The basic construction of MOSFET can be explained as below:-
 Substrate : MOSFET is constructed on a silicon wafer that is it acts as a
base of the device.
 SiO2 : A thin layer of insulating material is formed with SiO2 for the
exchange of electrons and holes.
 Gate Terminal : A gate terminal is formed on the insulating layer. This
controls the flow of current between the drain and source with the help of
gate voltage.
 Source and drain terminals : These are created on the either side of the
gate. These are basically doped regions.
 Channel : Region between the gate, drain and source is known as
channel which controls the flow of charge among them.

In the above figure, gate, source and drain are the three terminals. Below are
the two channels and body terminal.
Characteristics of MOSFET
MOSFETs have majorly two characteristics:-
1. Drain characteristics
2. Transfer characteristics

Enhancement Type MOSFET

1. Drain characteristics of Enhancement Type MOSFET
Characteristics between output current and output voltage. O/P i -> ID, O/P v
-> VDS , control variable = VGS. Here we will plot a graph between ID and
VDS for various levels of VGS.
Case 1: VGS1 > VT
(Here VT is the threshold voltage)
Veff = VGS1 – VT
 will directly affect the width of the n-channel
 significant amount of drain current will flow through it.
When VDS is increased to a certain level, drain current becomes constant. This
is called pinch-off condition.
VDS + VGD – VGS = 0
VGD = VGS – VDS
VGD = VT , pinch off voltage
Case 2: VGS1 > VGS2
conductivity of 1 > conductivity of 2
R 2> R 1
slope of 2 < slope of 1
Now there are few regions in this graph:-
1. Saturation region : Region in which drain current is constant.
2. Triode region : Left area of locus of VDS saturation.
3. Cut-off region : When it can’t achieve the threshold voltage, MOSFET
remains OFF. Current is 0 amp.

Depletion-mode MOSFET
The Depletion-mode MOSFET, which is less common than the enhancement
mode types is normally switched “ON” (conducting) without the application of
a gate bias voltage. That is the channel conducts when VGS = 0 making it a
“normally-closed” device. The circuit symbol shown above for a depletion
MOS transistor uses a solid channel line to signify a normally closed
conductive channel.
For the n-channel depletion MOS transistor, a negative gate-source voltage, -
VGS will deplete (hence its name) the conductive channel of its free electrons
switching the transistor “OFF”. Likewise for a p-channel depletion MOS
transistor a positive gate-source voltage, +VGS will deplete the channel of its
free holes turning it “OFF”.
In other words, for an n-channel depletion mode MOSFET: +VGS means more
electrons and more current. While a -VGS means less electrons and less
current. The opposite is also true for the p-channel types. Then the depletion
mode MOSFET is equivalent to a “normally-closed” switch.

Depletion-mode N-Channel Circuit Symbols

 Enhancement-mode MOSFET
The more common Enhancement-mode MOSFET or eMOSFET, is the
reverse of the depletion-mode type. Here the conducting channel is lightly
doped or even undoped making it non-conductive. This results in the device
being normally “OFF” (non-conducting) when the gate bias voltage, VGS is
equal to zero. The circuit symbol shown above for an enhancement MOS
transistor uses a broken channel line to signify a normally open non-
conducting channel.
For the n-channel enhancement MOS transistor a drain current will only flow
when a gate voltage ( VGS ) is applied to the gate terminal greater than the
threshold voltage ( VTH ) level in which conductance takes place making it a
transconductance device.
The application of a positive (+ve) gate voltage to a n-type eMOSFET attracts
more electrons towards the oxide layer around the gate thereby increasing or
enhancing (hence its name) the thickness of the channel allowing more
current to flow. This is why this kind of transistor is called an enhancement
mode device as the application of a gate voltage enhances the channel.
Increasing this positive gate voltage will cause the channel resistance to
decrease further causing an increase in the drain current, ID through the
channel. In other words, for an n-channel enhancement mode
MOSFET: +VGS turns the transistor “ON”, while a zero or -VGS turns the
transistor “OFF”. Thus the enhancement-mode MOSFET is equivalent to a
“normally-open” switch.
The reverse is true for the p-channel enhancement MOS transistor.
When VGS = 0 the device is “OFF” and the channel is open. The application of
a negative (-ve) gate voltage to the p-type eMOSFET enhances the channels
conductivity turning it “ON”. Then for an p-channel enhancement mode
MOSFET: +VGS turns the transistor “OFF”, while -VGS turns the transistor “ON”.

Enhancement-mode N-Channel Circuit Symbols

With increasing voltage, current flowing through the terminals increases with
voltage. You can see this in the graph. VGS more than the threshold voltage is
the condition of flowing current.
2. Transfer Characteristics of Enhancement Type MOSFET
Characteristics between output current and input voltage.

V = VT (Threshold Voltage)
 When the value of voltage across gate and source is less than the
threshold voltage
Working of N-channel Enhancement Type MOSFET
In such kind of MOSFET, we have to make gate terminal more +ve, hence +ve
charges will accumulate in the gate and will attract -ve charges in the
body. Electrons will be drifted towards the surface and the region near the
surface will become less p type. +ve charges are pushed down. So above
region will become n type and thus a channel is formed.
If we will increase the voltage between gate and source, then the width of
channel will increase. And if the voltage is more than a particular voltage, the
channel width is sufficient to allow flow of current. And this particular voltage
is called Threshold voltage. And the resultant current is known as drain
current.

Working of P-channel Enhancement Type MOSFET

A p-channel enhancement type MOSFET is a type of MOSFET which works
by applying +ve voltage to the device. It operates according to the voltage
applied to the gate terminal. Hence flow of current occurs between drain and
source. Step by step explanation:-
 It has mainly three terminals, source, drain and gate. It forms on a
semiconductor substrate.
 MOSFET has a thin insulating layer of oxide in it to separate it from the
semiconductor. The source and drain terminals are made with p type
semiconductor and so is the enhanced channel.
 In a p channel MOSFET, majority charge carriers are the holes.
 It is generally OFF when no voltage is applied. On applying voltage, it
creates an electric field in the oxide layer and hence a channel is formed
by the movement of holes.
 Then current starts flowing in the channel between drain and source.
 Substrate/body terminal is made up of n type semiconductor.
 Current in the channel can be controlled by gate voltage.
Working of N- channel Depletion Type MOSFET
 In this type of MOSFET, three terminals are present- drain, source and
gate.
 Same as other MOSFETs, it also contains a thin insulating layer made up
of gate oxide to avoid direct contact with the metal.
 Here, channel is present from the beginning. By applying a +ve voltage it
creates a depletion region reducing the charge carriers and results in
decrement of current.
 MOSFET is generally ON.
 Drain and source terminal is made up of n-type semiconductor.

Symbol of p-channel enhancement type.

Depletion Type MOSFET
Drain characteristics : ID V/S VDS for various VGS.

Transfer Characteristics : ID V/S VGS for fixed VDS.

Symbols

Symbol of n-channel depletion type.

Symbol of p-channel depletion type.

Difference Between Enhancement Type and Depletion

Type MOSFET
Enhancement Type MOSFET Depletion Type MOSFET

1. By applying external voltage in the 1. By applying external voltage in the

channel, if the amount of charge channel, if the amount of charge
 Enhancement Type MOSFET Depletion Type MOSFET

carriers increases, it is known as carriers decreases, it is known as

enhancement type MOSFET. depletion type MOSFET.

2. No channel is present in the 2. Channel is present from the

beginning. beginning.

3. There is a threshold voltage. 3. There is no such threshold voltage.

4. It does not produce current in the 4. It can produce current without any
absence of VGS. gate voltage.

Uses of MOSFET
 Used in digital logic circuits.
 It is used as Amplifiers
 They are used in Integrated circuits due to small size.
 It is also used in Microprocessors
 Used in Power electronics
Operating Regions of MOSFET
1. Cutoff Region: In this region of MOSFET, no current flows as the voltage
applied in the MOSFET is less than the threshold voltage resulting in the
failure of formation of oxide layer. State is OFF.
2. Saturation Region: In this region of MOSFET, a constant amount of
current flows between the drain and source because of the threshold
voltage. State of MOSFET is ON in this case.
3. Triode Region: It is known as partially conducting state. It is not fully
turned on but there is a channel for current flow. Voltage here is
moderate.
Switching characteristics for both N channel and P channel MOSFET in
tabular form
MOSFET VGS < 0 VGS = 0 VGS > 0

1. P-channel
ON OFF OFF
enhancement type

2. N-channel
OFF OFF ON
enhancement type
MOSFET VGS < 0 VGS = 0 VGS > 0

3. P-channel
ON ON OFF
depletion type

3. N-channel
OFF ON ON
depletion type

Applications of MOSFET
 Amplifiers: MOSFETs are used as an amplifiers in order to amplify
weak signals.
 Switching power supplies: They are used as switches because they
can alter power supply efficiently.
 Digital logic gates: They are used to build logic gates such as NAND,
NOR etc.
 Voltage regulators: They are used as voltage regulators because they
can control the amount of voltage.
 Memory devices: They are used in memory cells.
Advantages of MOSFET
 High Switching Speed: It can change its state rapidly from ON and OFF
position.
 Low Power Consumption : Useful for battery operated devices.
 High input impedance : They use minimum input current.
 Low noise : They produce low noise and do not cause much disturbance.
Disadvantages of MOSFET
 Breakdown: MOSFETS have a very thin layer of gate oxide so on
applying high voltage it can cause to breakdown of entire device.
 Temperature: Some functions of MOSFET are altered because of varying
 temperatures.
 Voltage capacity: They have a limited voltage capacity.
 Expensive: Complex manufacturing of MOSFETS can lead to high cost
of overall electronic device.
Conclusion
So in this article, we studied about MOSFETs in brief. Its drain and transfer
characteristics and how it plays a pivotal role in making different type of
electronic devices. We also saw the working of depletion and enhancement
type MOSFETs, its differences and symbols. By referring this article, you can
get an overview of MOSFET and rest you can also explore it on the internet
as it is a vast topic.
Frequently Asked Questions on MOSFET – FAQs
What is active device?
Any type of device which has the ability to control the flow of electrons is called
as active device. Eg-BJT, MOSFET, etc.

Why do we use SiO2 in MOSFET?

We use thin layer of SiO2 because we want the control over surface by gate
electrode.

What do you mean by the term inversion?

Changing n type into p type by making gate terminal more positive with respect
to substrate or body terminal.
Difference Between N-Channel AND P-Channel MOSFET

N-CHANNEL MOSFET P-CHANNEL MOSFET

It use electron flow as the charge carrier. It use hole flow as the charge carrier.

Less heat produced. More heat produced.

It has low input noise. It has high input noise.

Drain current is positive. Drain current is negative.

It has n-channel between source and drain. It has p-channel between source and drain.

Applications Of N-Channel MOSFET

There are some applications of N-Channel MOSFET.
 It can be operates in both saturation region and cut-off region.
 An N-channel MOSFET can be work like a switching circuit.
 N-channel MOSFETs are used in high current application.
 It can be used as power converters in modern electric vehicles.
 It can be used in battery powered motors and in motor control also.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of N-Channel

Enhancement Type MOSFET
Advantages and Disadvantages of N-Channel Enhancement Type MOSFET
are given below.
Advantages Of N-Channel MOSFET
 In the n-channel MOSFET mobility of electrons is greater the mobility of
holes in the p-channel MOSFET.
 It has better signal integrity.
 It can handle the higher frequency operation.
 It reduces the cross over distortion.
 The NMOS is only transistor in which no isolation-island are required,
that’s why high packing density is suitable for all logic families including
VLSI, ULSI etc.
 NMOS has large Fanout.
Disadvantages Of N-Channel MOSFET
 It has a short life time.
 If we will apply overload voltage then it will be unstable.
 It requires very well designed circuit to perform good.
 The speed of operation is slow because MOS devices are also the
capacitor and it’s capacitive loading is very high.
 On every gate it has large propagation delay.
 Power dissipation is very high as compare to CMOS.
Conclusion
Now in the final statement we can say that N-channel MOSFET is better than
the P-channel MOSFET because n-channel MOSFET is much faster than
the p-channel MOSFET. In the n-channel MOSFET mobility of electrons is
greater than the mobility of holes in p-channel MOSFET. N-channel
MOSFET is used in various field like electric vehicles, motor control
applications, current application etc. It is produces less heat and drain
current is positive in the N-CHANNEL MOSFET.
FAQs on N channel MOSFET
How the drain current is modeled for the MOSFET ?
By using Shockley equations and we can modeled drain current for the
MOSFET. It is calculated by using formula – (LD = VGS – VTH)VDS. Where
“K” is transconductance parameters. “VGS” is gate to source voltage. “VDS”
is drain to source voltage. “VTH” is threshold voltage.

How MOSFET differ from BJT?

MOSFET has no requirement of input current only voltage is making them
highly efficient. They are more sensitive than BJT, BJT are operated by
controlling the flow of current between emitter and collector, whether the
MOSFETs controls the flow of current between source and drain.

How a MOSFET works and it’s application ?

A MOSFET is a type of Field effect transistor, it is use for amplification of
circuits, switching of electronic signals. The MOSFET is operated by varying
the width of channel along which charge carriers are flow. MOSFET is used
for high current application.
Example 4.2
Design the circuit of Fig. 4.20 so that the transistor operates at ID = 0.4mA and VD
= +0.5V. The NMOS transistor has Vt=0.7V, µnCox = 100 µA/V2, L = 1µm, and
W=32µm. Neglect the channel-length modulation effect (i.e., assume that λ=0).
VDD=+2.5V
ID RD
VD

ID RS

VSS= -2.5V
Figure 4.20 Circuit for the Example 4.2
Solution:
Since VD=0.5V is greater than VG, this means the NMOS transistor is operating in
the saturation region, and we use the saturation region expression of i D to determine
the required value of VGS
ID = ½ µnCox W/L(VGS –Vt)2
Substituting VGS - Vt = Vox, ID = 0.4mA = 400µA, µnCox = 100 µA/V2, and
W/L=32/1 gives
400= ½ x100x32/1 xVov2
which result in Vox = 0.5V
Thus VGS = Vt + Vox = 0.7+0.5 = 1.2V
Referring to Fig. 4.20, we note that the gate is at ground potential. Thus the source
must be at -1.2V, and the required value of RS can be determined from
Rs = (Vs –VSS)/ID = (-1.2 –(-2.5))/0.4 = 3.25k..
To establish a DC voltage of +0.5V at the drain, we must select RD as follows:
RD. ID = VDD – VD,
RD = (2.5 -0.5)/0.4 = 5k.

Example 4.5:
Analyze the circuit shown in Fig. 4.23a to determine the voltages at all nodes and
currents through all branches. Let Vt = 1V and k©n(W/L) = 1mA/V2. Neglect the
channel-length modulation effect (i.e., assume that λ=0).

VDD=+10V
ID RD=6k
RG1=10M VD

RG2=10M ID RS= 6k

Figure 4.23a Circuit for the Example 4.5

Solution:
Since the gate current is zero, the voltage at the gate is simply determined by the
voltage divider formed by the two 10M resistors.
VG = VDD (RG2/(RG2 + RG!)) = 10x (10/(10+10)) = +5V
With this positive voltage at the gate, the NMOS transistor will be turned on.
We shall assume saturation-region operation, solve the problem, and then check
the validity of our assumption.
Refer to Fig. 4.23b. Since the voltage at the gate is 5V and the voltage at the source
is ID (mA)x 6(k) = 6ID, we have VGS = 5 – 6ID
Thus ID is given by ID = ½ k©n W/L (VGS – Vt)2
= ½x1x(5 -6ID – 1)2
Which results in the following quadratic equation in ID.
18 I2D – 25ID +8 = 0
This equation yields two values for ID : 0.89 mA and 0.5 mA. The first value
results in a source voltage of 6x0.89 = 5.34, which is greater than that of gate
voltage and does not make physical sense as it would imply that the NMOS
transistor is cut off. Thus, ID – 0.5mA
VS = 0.5x6 = +3V
VGS = 5-3 = 2V
VD = 10 – 6x0.5 = +7V
Since VD > VG - Vt, the transistor is operating in saturation , as initially assumed.