Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2

Introduction:

 A transistor is a semiconductor device that controls current with the

application of a small electrical signal.
 Transistors may be roughly grouped into two major families: bipolar and
field- effect. BJT utilize a small current to control a large current. But FET
utilizing a small voltage to control current.
 FETs are unipolar rather than bipolar devices. That is, the main current
through them is comprised either of electrons through an N-type
semiconductor (N-channel FET) or holes through a P-type semiconductor (P-
channel FET).
 In a JFET, the controlled current passes from Source to Drain, or from Drain
to Source as the case may be. The controlling voltage is applied between the
Gate and Source. Current flowing through this channel widely depends on the
input voltage applied to its Gate terminal.
 FETs generally of two types: 1) JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistors) and
2) MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors).

Junction Field Effect Transistors: JFET is a voltage controlled three

terminal uni-polar semiconductor device. The three terminals namely, Source (S),
Gate (G) and Drain (D).
As the voltage applied to the Gate with respect to the Source (VGS), controls the
current flowing between the Drain and the Source terminals. See fig.2.1. JFETs can
be classified into two types (i) n-channel JFET and (ii) p-channel JFET, depending
on whether the current flow is due to electrons or holes, respectively.

Components of FET:

1. Channel: This is the area in which majority charge carriers flow. When the
majority charge carriers are entered in FET, then with the help of this channel only
they flow from source to drain.
2. Source: Source is the terminal through which the majority charge carriers are
introduced in the FET.
3. Drain: Drain is the collecting terminal in which the majority charge carriers
enter and thus contribute in the conduction procedure.

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4. Gate: Gate terminal is formed by diffusion of a type of semiconductor with
another type of semiconductor. It basically creates high impurity region which
controls the flow of carrier from source to drain.

Fig 2.1: Constructional details of a) N-channel JFET b) P-channel JFET

Working of N-channel JFET:

Case I: No voltage is applied to the device (VDS = 0 and VGS = 0).

At this state, the device will be idle and no current flows through it (IDS = 0).
Case-II: When VDS is applied and VGS = 0
As shown in fig.2.2 (a), the two PN junctions at the sides of the N channel establish
depletion layers. The electrons will flow from Source to Drain through a channel

between the depletion layers. The size of the depletion layers determines the width of
the channel and hence current IDS, conduction through the bar.
Case-III: When VDS is applied Positive Voltage, and VGS = - ve
The depletion region width increases, which results in reduces the width of conducting
channel, thereby increasing the resistance of n-type bar. Consequently, the current
from Source to Drain is decreased.
If more (-VGS ) is applied, further reduces the channel width until no current flows
through the channel. At this - voltage at which the JFET channel is called as pinched-
off voltage, VP.
At this state, the IDS current is restricted only by the channel-resistance. However, once
the pinch-off occurs (VDS = VP), the current IDS saturates at a particular level IDSS.
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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2

Fig 2.2 (a)

Fig 2.2 (b)

Fig 2.2 (a) Fig 2.2 (b)

Fig 2.3: Circuit diagram of N-channel JFET

Output characteristics (Drain) V-I curves of JFET:

The characteristics curves of a JFET shown in the fig.2.4, reveals four different
regions of operation are given as:
Ohmic Region: When VGS = 0 the depletion region of the channel is very small
and the JFET acts like a voltage-controlled resistor.
Cut-off Region: This is also known as the pinch-off region were the Gate
voltage, VGS is sufficient to cause the JFET to act as an open circuit as the
channel resistance is at maximum.
Saturation or Active Region: The JFET becomes a good conductor and is
controlled by the Gate-Source voltage, (VGS) while the Drain-Source voltage, (VDS)
has little or no effect.
Breakdown Region: The voltage between the Drain and the Source, (VDS) is high
enough to causes the JFET’s resistive channel to breakdown and pass
uncontrolled maximum current.

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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2
The characteristics curves for a P-channel junction field effect transistor are the
same as those above, except that the Drain current ID decreases with an increasing
positive Gate-Source voltage, VGS.

Fig 2.4 (a) JFET with VGS=0V and a variable VDS(VDD) (b) The drain Characteristics curve for VGS=0 showing
pinch off voltage

The Drain current IDS is zero when VGS = VP. For normal operation, VGS is
biased to be somewhere between VP and 0. Then we can calculate the Drain current,
ID for any given bias point in the saturation or active region as follows:

1. Drain current in the Active region:

Drain current (ID) at the active region can be calculated as follows: ID lies between
(pinch-off) zero to IDSS.

2. Drain-Source Channel Resistance RDS:

Similarly, if we know drain source voltage Vds and drain current Id, we can
calculate the drain-source channel resistance.

Where: gm is the “trans conductance gain” since the JFET is a voltage-controlled

device and which represents the rate of change of the ID with respect to the
change in VGS.
3. Amplification Factor: (µ)
It is given by

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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2

Transfer characteristics of JFET:

The transfer characteristics can be determined by observing different values of I D

with variation in VGS provided that the VDS should be constant as shown in the
fig.2.5.
Notice that the bottom end of the transfer characteristic curve is at a point on the
VGS axis equal to VGS(off), and the top end of the curve is at a point on the I D axis
equal to IDSS.

This curve shows that

i) ID = 0; when VGS = VGS(off)
ii) ID = IDSS when VGS = 0
iii) The transfer characteristic curve is expressed approximately as

Hence, JFETs are often referred to as square-law devices.

Fig 2.5 Transfer and Drain characteristics

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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2

Comparison of BJT and FET:

BJT JFET

Bipolar junction transistor Unipolar junction transistor

Input impedance is very less Input impedance is very large

Current control device, preferred Voltage controlled device, preferred

for low current applications for low voltage applications

More noisy Less noisy

Frequency variations effect High frequency response

its performance

Temperature dependent device Better heat stability

Cheaper than FET Costly than BJT

Bigger in size than FET Smaller in size than BJT

More gain Less gain

High output impedance because of Low output impedance because of

high gain less gain

High voltage gain Low voltage gain

Low current gain High current gain

Switching time is medium Switching time is fast

Consumes more power Consumes less power

Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect transistor (MOSFET):

 The MOSFET, different from the JFET, has no pn junction structure; instead,
the gate of the MOSFET is insulated from the channel by a silicon dioxide
(SiO2) layer shown in the fig.2.6.

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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2
 The MOSFET is widely used for switching and amplifying electronic signals.
Also, it is a core of ICs and it can be designed and fabricated in a single chip
because of smaller silicon chip area.
The two basic types of MOSFETs
1. Enhancement MOSFET (E-MOSFET) and
2. Depletion MOSFET (D-MOSFET). Of the two types, the enhancement
MOSFET is more widely used.

Fig.2.6 MOSFET circuit symbols

The depletion mode MOSFETs are generally ON at (V GS = 0V). The conductivity of

the channel in depletion MOSFETs is less compared to the enhancement type of
MOSFETs. See fig. 2.7.
Case I: When there is no Gate voltage (V GS = 0), as in fig. 2.7, maximum current
flows (ID = IS = IDSS).
Case II: When VGS = -ve with respect to the substrate, the Gate repels some of the
electrons out of the N-channel.
This creates a depletion region in the channel, as illustrated in fig.2.8, and,
therefore, increases the channel resistance and reduces the Drain current, ID. The
more negative the gate, the less the Drain current.
In this mode of operation, the device is referred to as a depletion-mode MOSFET.
Heretoo much negative Gate voltage can pinch-off the channel. Then device is said
to be OFF.

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Fig.2.7 MOSFET in depletion mode with gate voltage zero

Fig.2.8 MOSFET in depletion mode with gate voltage negative

Case III: When VGS = +ve, Gate attracts the negative charge carriers from the P-
substrate to the N- channel and thus reduces the channel resistance and increases
the drain current, ID. The more positive the Gate is made, the more Drain current
flows. In this mode of operation, the device is referred to as an enhancement-
mode MOSFET. This is depicted in the fig. 2.9.

Fig.2.9 MOSFET in depletion mode with gate voltage positive

Transfer and Drain characteristic of depletion MOSFET is shown in the fig.2.10.

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Transfer
Drain

Fig. 2.10 Transfer characteristic and Drain characteristic of depletion MOSFET

Enhancement Mode:

The construction of an enhancement-type MOSFET is quite similar to that of the

depletion-type MOSFET, except for the absence of an N-channel between the drain
and source terminals.
The minimum value of VGS is required to form the induced N-channel, that turns
the E-MOSFET ON is called threshold voltage [VGS (th)]. For VGS below VGS (th), the
drain current ID = 0.
(i)
When VGS = 0 V, VDS = +ve: There is no channel induced between Source and
Drain. The p- substrate has only a few thermally produced free electrons
(minority carriers) so that drain current is almost zero. For this reason, E-
MOSFET is normally OFF when VGS = 0V.
(ii)
When VGS = VGS(th) = + ve, and VDS = + ve: The free electrons developed next to
the SiO2 layer and induced an N channel, as shown in the fig.2.11. Now a Drain
current ID starts flowing. E-MOSFET is turned ON. Beyond VGS (th), if the value
of VGS is increased, the induced N channel becomes wider, resulting large ID. If
the value of VGS decreases not less than VGS (th), the channel becomes narrower
and ID will decrease.

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Basic Electronics [BBEE103/203] Module-2

Fig. 2.11 MOSFET in enhancement mode with gate voltage positive

Since the conductivity of the channel is enhanced by the positive bias on the Gate, so
this device is also called the enhancement MOSFET or E- MOSFET.

Characteristics of E-MOSFET:

Drain Characteristics curve: fig.2.12 (b), have almost vertical and almost horizontal
parts. The vertical components of the curves correspond to the ohmic region, and
the horizontal components correspond to the saturation region (constant current).
Note the following worthy points:
 ID depends on different values of VGS (from 0V to + VGS (max)).
 When VGS = 0, even for large increase in VDS, ID = 0. This is said to be cut-off
region. (MOSFET off state).

Fig. 2.12 (a) E-MOSFET circuit (b) Drain characteristic of E-MOSFET

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Transfer Characteristics curve:

i.
When VGS < VGS(th), then ID =0. This is because under this state, the channel
will not be connecting between the drain and the source terminals. This is
called as cut-off region. (MOSFET off state). The tranfer curves of MOSFET is
shown in the fig.2.13.
ii.
When VGS > VGS(th),. then ID flows through the device, initially (Ohmic region)
and then saturates toa value (saturation region). That means, ID is controlled
by the Gate voltage, VGS.

iii.
ID can be obtained by analytical expression:

2
ID = k (VGS VGS(th))

where A/V2

Fig.2.13 Transfer characteristic of E - MOSFET

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