MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–1

Lecture 4
MOSFET (III) - I-V
Characteristics
EE101B
Department of Electrical Engineering Prof. K.V. Shenoy
Stanford University Prof. M. Hershenson

• iD -vDS characteristics
• Output resistance in saturation
• P-channel MOSFET (PMOS)
• The body effect

1 Primary reference: 4.2 (MOSFETs), A.S. Sedra and K.C. Smith, ”Microelectronic
Circuits”, Fifth Edition. Oxford University Press, 2004.
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–2

iD -vDS characteristics
We now consider the complete ”static” current-voltage
(i-v) characteristics.
• ”Static” characteristics mean characteristics valid at
dc and low frequencies.
• Characteristics valid at mid- and high-frequencies
will be considered later in EE101B.

• Figure: An n-channel enhancement-type MOSFET

with vGS and vDS applied. Normal directions of
current flow are indicated.

• This conceptual/test circuit is useful for envisioning

i-v characteristics.
• The i-v characteristics comprise a family of curves.
• Each curve should appear as we saw last lecture,
with each curve corresponding to a different vGS .
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–3

• Figure: The iD - vDS characteristics for a device

with Vt = 1 V and kn (W/L) = 0.5 mA/V2 .

• Three distinct regions of operation can be clearly

seen:

Cutoff region:

vGS ≤ Vt no channel induced (1)

iD = 0 (2)

Triode region:

vGS > Vt channel induced (3)

MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–4

vDS ≤ vGS − Vt continuous channel (4)

! "# $
W 1 2
iD = kn# (vGS − Vt )vDS − vDS (5)
L 2

Saturation region:

vGS > Vt channel induced (6)

vDS ≥ vGS − Vt pinched − of f channel (7)

! "
1 W
iD = kn# (vGS − Vt )2 (8)
2 L

• Boundary between triode and saturation regions:

vDS = vGS − Vt .

• The BIG PICTURE here is how the three terminal

voltages (G, S, D) fully determine the mode in
which the MOSFET operates.

• In saturation, current is independent of vDS and

increases as the square of vGS .
• This is termed ”square law” behavior.
• In saturation, a MOSFET is an ideal current source:
current does not depend on vDS . (Note that we will
revisit this approximation shortly).
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–5

• Figure: The iD - vGS characteristic for an

enhancement-type NMOS transistor in saturation
(Vt = 1 V and kn (W/L) = 0.5 mA/V2 ).
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–6

Output resistance in
saturation
The complete independence of saturation current on
vDS is only an approximation, and we must now revisit
this approximation.
• The approximation relies on the channel not
changing shape once it is pinched off.
• In reality, as vDS increases beyond vDSsat the pinch
off point moves slightly toward the source.

• Figure: Increasing vDS beyond vDSsat causes the

channel pinch-off point to move slightly away from
the drain, thus reducing the effective channel length
(by ∆L).

• This phenomenon is termed channel-length

modulation.
• Since iD is inversely proportional to L,
channel-length modulation implies that iD will
increase with vDS beyond vDSsat .
• This is illustrated in the figure below.
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–7

• Figure: Effect of vDS on iD in the saturation region.

The MOSFET parameter VA is typically in the
range of 30 to 200 V.

• The linear dependence of iD on vDS in the

saturation region is taken into account through a
channel-length modulation term λ:
! "
1 W
iD = kn# (vGS − Vt )2 (1 + λvDS ) (1)
2 L
• Note that L is the original (longest) channel length
in this equation.
• As shown in the figure above, extrapolations of the
saturation current characteristics intersect at a the
Early voltage (VA ).
• VA is the inverse of λ.
• λ is typically 0.005 to 0.03 V−1 .
• Channel-length modulation makes the output
resistance finite (not infinite) in the saturation
region:
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–8

# $−1
∂iD
ro = (2)
∂vDS vGS=constant

 ! −1
k W
ro = λ n (VGS − Vt )2  (3)
2 L

1 VA
ro ≈ = (4)
λID ID

• Note 1: The approximation is due to neglecting the

(1 + λvDS ) term when substituting in ID .
• Note 2: ID is dc current flowing through the
MOSFET.
• The figure below is the large-signal equivalent
circuit model of a MOSFET.

• Figure: Large-signal equivalent circuit model of the

n-channel MOSFET in saturation, incorporating the
output resistance ro . The output resistance models
the linear dependence of iD on vDS and is given by
ro ≈ VA /ID .
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4–9

P-channel MOSFET (PMOS)

PMOS i-v characteristics and equations are nearly
identical to those of the NMOS transistor we have been
considering.
• Recall that Vt < 0 since holes must be attracted to
induce a channel.
• Thus, to induce a channel and operate in triode or
saturation mode:

vGS ≤ Vt (5)

• For PMOS, vD is more negative than vS – thus

vDS < 0 (or equivalently vSD > 0).

• Thus, to operate in the triode region:

– vDS ≥ vGS − Vt (continuous channel)
– Current equation is the same as for NMOS, but
! !
with kp instead of kn .
– Note: µp ≈ 0.4µn

• To operate in the saturation region:

– vDS ≤ vGS − Vt (pinched-off channel)
– Current equation is the same as for NMOS, but
! !
with kp instead of kn .
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4 – 10

The Body Effect

So far we have ignored the substrate (body) terminal,
but now we must consider this terminal in greater detail.
• Consider an NMOS transistor.
• We typically tie the backgate terminal to the source.
• In this case we can ignore the backgate terminal.
• It is not always possible to connect the backgate
terminal to each transistor’s source.
• In integrated circuits, the backgate is usually tied to
the most negative power supply in the circuit (most
positive for PMOS).
• If the backgate terminal voltage is less than the
source voltage (for NMOS) a reverse-bias p-n
junction results.
• This, in turn, will have an effect on device
operation:
– The depletion region between substrate and
channel will widen.
– This reduces the number of channel carriers
(”channel depth”).
– To restore the number of carriers, vGS would
have to be increased
• The most convenient way to represent the influence
of a non-zero VSB is to alter the threshold voltage
Vt .
MOSFET (III) - I-V Characteristics 4 – 11

• Specifically, increasing the reverse substrate bias

voltage VSB results in an increase in Vt :
)* * +
Vt = Vto + γ 2φf + VSB − 2φf (6)

where:
– Vto is the threshold voltage for VSB = 0.
– φf is a physical parameter with 2φf tyically 0.6
V.
– γ is a fabrication-process parameter given by:
√
2qNA %s
γ= (7)
Cox

– NA is the doping concentration of the p-type

substrate.
– %s is the permittivity of silicon.
• The BIG PICTURE here is that an incremental
change in VSB gives rise to an incremental change
in Vt , which in turn results in an incremental
change in iD .
• In effect, the substrate (body terminal) acts as
another gate in that it exerts control over channel
current (id ).
• This phenomenon is termed the body effect.
• The γ parameter is called the body-effect
parameter.