Electronic Devices and Circuits

Introduction to FET Transistor

Dr. Junaid Ahmed

Contents
Introduction to Field Effect Transistors (FET)
Types of Field Effect Transistors
Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET)
 Introduction to JFET
 Construction details
 Polarities of JFET
Principle and Working of JFET
Schematic symbol of JFET
Difference between JFET & BJT
JFET as an amplifier
Output characteristics of JFET
Salient Features of JFET
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Introduction to Field Effect Transistors (FET):
The field effect transistor is a
unipolar semiconductor device.

The FET uses voltage that is

applied at the input terminal,
called the Gate to control the
output current.

The operation of FET relies on an

electric field (hence the name field
Field Effect Transistor
effect) generated by the
input Gate voltage, this makes
the Field Effect Transistor a
“VOLTAGE” operated device.
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Types of Field Effect Transistors:
The biggest difference between BJT and FET is:

A bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is a current controlled device

i.e., output characteristics of the device are controlled by base
current.

Field effect transistor (FET) is a voltage control device, the output

characteristics are controlled by input voltage (i.e., electric field)
and not by input current.

There are two basic types of field effect transistors:

1. Junction field effect transistor (JFET)
2. Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET)

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Types of Field Effect Transistors: (cont.)

Figure-1: Types of Field Effect Transistor

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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET):
Introduction:
A junction field effect transistor is a three terminal
semiconductor device in which current conduction is by one
type of carrier i.e., electrons or holes.

The JFET was developed about the same time as the

transistor but it came into general use only in the late 1960s.

In a JFET, the current conduction is either by electrons or

holes and is controlled by means of an electric field between
the gate electrode and the conducting channel of the device.

The JFET has high input impedance and low noise level.

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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET): (cont.)
Construction details:
A JFET consists of a p-type or n-type bar containing
two pn junctions at the sides as shown in Figure-2.

Figure-2: JFET n-channel and p-channel transistors

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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET): (cont.)
Construction details: (details)
 The bar forms the conducting channel for the charge carriers

 If the bar is of n-type, it is called n-channel JFET

 If the bar is of p-type, it is called a p-channel JFET

 The two pn junctions forming diodes are connected internally and a common
terminal called gate is taken out

 Other two terminals are source and drain, which are taken out from the bar as
shown

 JFET has essentially three terminals:

1. Gate (G)
2. Source (S)
3. Drain (D)

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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET): (cont.)
JFET polarities:
Figure-3 shows the polarities for n-channel JFET and p-
channel JFET transistors.

Figure-3: JFET n-channel and p-channel transistors

polarities
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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET): (cont.)
JFET polarities: (cont.)
The voltage between the gate and source
(VGS) is such that the gate is reverse biased.

This is the normal way of JFET connection.

The drain and source terminals are

interchangeable i.e., either end can be used as
source and the other end as drain.

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Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET): (cont.)
JFET polarities: (cont.)
The following points may be noted:
I. The input circuit (i.e. gate to source) of a JFET
is reverse biased. This means that the device
has high input impedance.

II. The drain is so biased w.r.t. source that drain

current ID flows from the source to drain.

III. In all JFETs, source current IS is equal to the

drain current i.e. IS= ID.
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Principle and working of JFET:
Principle: For understanding, n-
channel JFET is considered here.

 The two pn junctions at the sides

form two depletion layers.

 The current conduction by charge

carriers (i.e. free electrons in this
case) is through the channel
between the two depletion layers
and out of the drain.

 The width and hence resistance of Figure-4: JFET n-channel

this channel can be controlled by transistors
changing the input voltage VGS.

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Principle and working of JFET: (cont.)
The greater the reverse voltage VGS, wider will be the depletion
layers and narrower will be the conducting channel.

The narrower channel means greater resistance and hence source

to drain current decreases.

Reverse will happen should VGS decrease.

JFET operates on the principle that width and hence resistance of

the conducting channel can be varied by changing the reverse
voltage VGS.

In other words, the magnitude of drain current (ID) can be

changed by altering the VGS.
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Principle and working of JFET: (cont.)
Working: The detailed working of JFET is as under:

1. When a voltage VDS is applied between drain and source terminals and voltage on
the gate is zero as shown in Figure-5, the two pn junctions at the sides of the bar
establish depletion layers. The electrons will flow from source to drain through a
channel between the depletion layers. The size of these layers determines the
width of the channel and hence the current conduction through the bar.

Figure-5: JFET n-channel transistors with VGS=0 14

Principle and working of JFET: (cont.)
Working: (cont.)
2. When a reverse voltage VGS is applied between the gate and source as shown in
Figure-6, the width of the depletion layers is increased. This reduces the width
of conducting channel, thereby increasing the resistance of n-type bar.
Consequently, the current from source to drain is decreased. On the other hand,
if the reverse voltage on the gate is decreased, the width of the depletion layers
also decreases. This increases the width of the conducting channel and hence
source to drain current.

Figure-6: JFET n-channel transistors with VGS > 0 15

Principle and working of JFET: (cont.)
Working: (cont.)
It is clear from the above discussion that current from source
to drain can be controlled by the application of potential (i.e.
electric field) on the gate.

For this reason, the device is called field effect transistor.

It may be noted that a p-channel JFET operates in the same

manner as an n-channel JFET except that channel current
carriers will be the holes instead of electrons and the
polarities of VGS and VDS are reversed.

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Schematic symbol of JFET:
The schematic symbols for n-channel & p-channel
JFET transistors are shown in Figure-7:

Figure-7: Schematic symbols of JFET n-channel

and p-channel transistors
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Schematic symbol of JFET: (cont.)
For n-channel JFET, the arrow on the gate points is
towards the channel.

For p-channel JFET, the arrow on the gate point is

from channel to gate.

The vertical line in the symbol shows the channel

and Source (S) and Drain (D) connected to this
vertical line.

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Difference between JFET & BJT:
The JFET differs from an ordinary or bipolar
transistor in the following ways:
JFET BJT
There is only one type of carrier,
Both holes and electrons play part
holes in p-type channel and
in conduction.
electrons in n-type channel.
It is a bipolar transistor.
It is a unipolar transistor

The input circuit (i.e . , gate to The input circuit of an ordinary

source) of a JFET is reverse transistor is forward biased and
biased, therefore, the device has hence has low input impedance.
high input impedance.

The gate current is thousand The base current might be a few

times smaller µA
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Difference between JFET & BJT: (cont.)
Cont..
JFET BJT
It uses voltage on the 'gate' ( = base)
It uses a current into its base to
terminal to control the current be-
control a large current between
tween drain (= collector) and source
collector and emitter.
( = emitter).

The gain is characterized as a

transconductance i.e., the ratio of The gain is characterized by current
change in output cur-rent (drain gain
current) to the input (gate) voltage.

There are no junctions as in an ordi-

nary transistor. The conduction is
through an n- type or p-type semi- -----
conductor material. For this reason,
noise level in JFET is very small.

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JFET as an amplifier:
 Figure-8 shows the JFET amplifier
circuit.

 The weak signal is applied between gate

and source and amplified output is
obtained in the drain-source circuit.

 For the proper operation of JFET, the

gate must be negative w.r.t. source i.e.,
input circuit should always be reverse
biased.

 This is achieved either by inserting a

battery VGG in the gate circuit or by a Figure-8: JFET amplifier
circuit known as biasing circuit. The circuit
biasing is provided by the battery VGG.

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JFET as an amplifier: (cont.)
 A small change in the reverse bias on the gate produces a large change in
drain current.

 This fact makes JFET capable of raising the strength of a weak signal.

 During the positive half of signal, the reverse bias on the gate decreases,
this increases the channel width and hence the drain current.

 During the negative half-cycle of the signal, the reverse voltage on the
gate increases. Consequently, the drain current decreases.

 The result is that a small change in voltage at the gate produces a large
change in drain current.

 These large variations in drain current produce large output across the
load RL.
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Output characteristics of JFET:
The curve between drain current (ID) and drain-source
voltage (VDS) of a JFET at constant gate-source voltage (VGS)
is known as output characteristics of JFET.

Figure-9 shows the circuit for determining the output

characteristics of JFET.

Figure-9: JFET circuit

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Output characteristics of JFET: (cont.)
Keeping VGS fixed at some
value, say 1 V, the drian-source
voltage is changed in steps.

Corresponding to each value of

VDS, the drain current ID is
noted.

A plot of these values gives the

output characteristic of JFET at
VGS = 1 V.
Figure-10: Output
Figure-10 shows the output characteristics of JFET

characteristics of JFET .
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Output characteristics of JFET: (cont.)
The following points may be noted from the
characteristics:

1. At first, the drain current ID rises rapidly with drain-source

voltage VDS but then becomes constant. The drain-source
voltage above which drain current becomes constant is known
as pinch off voltage. Thus in Figure-10, OA is the pinch off
voltage VP .

2. After pinch off voltage, the channel width becomes so narrow

that depletion layers almost touch each other. The drain
current passes through the small passage between these
layers. Therefore, increase in drain current is very small with
VDS above pinch off voltage. Consequently, drain current
remains constant.
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Salient Features of JFET:
The following are some salient features of JFET :
1. A JFET is a three-terminal voltage-controlled semiconductor device
i.e. input voltage controls the output characteristics of JFET.

2. The JFET is always operated with gate-source (pn junction) reverse

biased.

3. The gate current is zero i.e. IG= o A.

4. Since there is no gate current, ID = IS.

5. The JFET must be operated between VGS= OV and VGS(off). For this
range of gate-to-source voltages, ID will vary from a maximum of IDSS
to a minimum of almost zero.

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Salient Features of JFET: (cont.)
6. The two gates of JFET are at the same potential, so both depletion
layers widen or narrow down by an equal amount.

7. The JFET is not subjected to thermal runaway when the temperature

of the device increases.

8. The drain current ID is controlled by changing the channel width.

9. JFET has no gate current, there is no β rating of the device. We can

find drain current ID by using the equation.

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Any Questions ????????

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