Jimma University

College of Natural Sciences

Department of Physics

Lecture Notes : Electronics I (Phys 2062)

Chapter Four: Field Effect Transistor (FET)

By: Mrs. Hiwot Tegegn (lecturer)

April 2020
Outline of the Chapter
The junction field effect transistor (JFET), JFET
Common Source Amplifier, JFET
Common Drain amplifier
 Insulated-Gate Field Effect Transistor. Power,
Multiple Transistor Circuit
Chapter Four: Field Effect transistor (FET)
 Chapter Objective
• In this chapter the junction field-effect transistor (JFET)
is introduced and its practical uses,
• construction, biasing and characteristics are
emphasized in an elaborate manner.
• In addition to this construction of the metal-oxide
semiconductor (MOS), the structural characteristics and
• biasing of MOS field-effect transistor (MOSFET) are also
discussed in detail. The last portion of
• the chapter deals with the various complimentary
metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits.
Introduction: Field Effect Transistor
 The invention of the BJT has brought a great twist in the modern era of
semiconductor technology.
 This device, along with its field-effect counterpart, known as the field-effect
transistor (FET), has had a huge impact on virtually every area of modern life.

 Practical field-effect transistors were first made in the form of JFET in 1953 and
MOSFET in 1963.
 The field-effect transistor has taken various forms like that of the junction field-
effect transistor (JFET), in which the gate voltage controls the depletion width of a
reverse-biased p–n junction;
 The metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET), in which the junction is
replaced by a Schottky barrier;
 The metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MISFET), where the
metal gate electrode is separated from the semiconductor by an insulator; and
 the metal-oxidesemi conductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), which is the most
common field-effect transistor in both digital and analog circuits.
 Introduction: Field Effect Transistor
A field effect transistor is a three
terminal semiconductor device in
which current conduction is by one
type of carriers ( i.e either electrons
or holes) and is controlled by the
effect of electric field.
Unlike the usual transistor, its
operation depends upon the flow of
majority carriers only i.e. the
current conduction in this case is
either by electrons or holes.
The flow of current is controlled by
means of an electric field developed
between the gate electrode and the
conducting channel of the device.
 Introduction: Field Effect Transistor
A field effect transistor is a three
terminal semiconductor device in
which current conduction is by one
type of carriers ( i.e either electrons
or holes) and is controlled by the
effect of electric field.
Unlike the usual transistor, its
operation depends upon the flow of
majority carriers only i.e. the current
conduction in this case is either by
electrons or holes.
The flow of current is controlled by
means of an electric field developed
between the gate electrode and the
conducting channel of the device.
Introduction: Semiconductors
Construction
 An n-channel field effect transistor is shown in fig. below.
 It consists of an n-type silicon bar with two islands of p- type semiconductor material
embedded in the sides, thus forming two pn junctions.
 The two p region are connected with each other (externally or internally) and are called
gate (G).
 Ohmic contacts are made at the two ends of the n- type semiconductor bar.
 One terminal is known as the source (S) through which the majority carriers (electrons in
this case) enter the bar.
 The other terminal is known as the drain (D) through which these majority carriers
leave the bar.
 Thus a FET has essentially three terminals called gate(G), source(S) and drain(D).
Introduction: Field Effect Transistor
 Working of FET
 The circuit diagram of an n- channel FET with normal polarities is shown.
 When a voltage Vds is applied across the drain and source terminals and voltage applied
across the gate and source Vgs is zero (i.e gate circuit is open) as shown in fig., the two pn
junction establish a very thin depletion layer.
 Thus a large amount of electrons will flow from source to drain through a wide channel
formed between the two depletion layers.
 When a reverse Vgs is applied across the gate and source as shown in fig. the width of the
depletion layer is increased. This reduces the width of the conducting channel thereby
decreasing the conduction (flow of electrons) through it.
 Thus the current flowing from source to drain depends upon the width of the conducting
channel which depends upon the thickness of depletion layer establish by the two pn
junctions depends upon the voltage applied across the gate source terminals.
 Hence it is clear that the current from source to drain can be controlled
by the application of potential (I.e electric field) on the gate.
 That is why the device is called field effect transistor.
 It may be noted that a p- channel FET also operates in the
same manner as an n-channel FET except that the channel
current carriers will be holes instead of electrons and all
the polarities will be reversed.
 Field Effect Transistor
 Advantages
 A FET is a voltage controlled device. In which the output current (drain current) is
controlled by the input (gate) voltage, therefore it has the following important
advantages.
 FET has a very high input impedance which shows a high degree of
isolation between the input and output circuit.
 The operation of FET depends upon the majority carriers (i.e. electron in
n-channel and holes in P-channel FET) which do not cross junctions.
Therefore, the inherent noise of tubes (because of high temperature
operation) and those of ordinary transistor are not present in a FET.
 In FET the risk of thermal runway is avoided since it has a negative
temperature coefficient of resistance.
 A FET has smaller size, longer life and higher efficiency.

Disadvantages
 Since FET has high input impedance the gate voltage has less voltage and has
less control over the drain current. Therefore FET amplifier has much less
voltage gain than a bipolar amplifier.
 Junction Field Effect Transistor
 There are two major categories of field effect transistors namely:
 (i) Junction field effect transistors (JFET)
 (ii) Metal oxide field effect transistor (MOSFET)
 JFET are of two types viz. N-channel JFET and P-channel JFETs. Generally N-channel
JFET are preferred.
 Construction and Characteristics of JFETs
 In an N- channel JFET an N-type silicon bar, referred to as the
channel, has two smaller pieces of P-type silicon material diffused
on the opposite sides of its middle part, forming P-N junctions as
shown in figure
 The two P-n junctions forming diodes or gates are connected
internally and a common terminal called the gate terminal is
brought out.
 Ohmic contacts are made at the two ends of the channel-one lead
is called the source terminal S and the other drain terminal D.
 The silicon bar behaves like a resistor between its two terminals D
and S.
 The gate terminal is analogous to the base of an ordinary transistor
It is used to control the flow of current from source to drain. Thus
source and drain terminal are analogous to emitter and collector
terminals respectively of a BJT.
 Junction Field Effect Transistor

 In an N- channel JFET an N-type silicon bar, referred

to as the channel, has two smaller pieces of P-type
silicon material diffused on the opposite sides of its
middle part, forming P-N junctions as shown in
figure
 The two P-n junctions forming diodes or gates are
connected internally and a common terminal called
the gate terminal is brought out.
 Ohmic contacts are made at the two ends of the
channel-one lead is called the source terminal S and
the other drain terminal D.
 The silicon bar behaves like a resistor between its
two terminals D and S. The gate terminal is
analogous to the base of an ordinary transistor (BJT).
 It is used to control the flow of current from source
to drain. Thus source and drain terminal are
analogous to emitter and collector terminals
respectively of a BJT.
 Junction Field Effect Transistor: Operation
 When neither any bias is applied to the gate (i.e when Vgs=0) nor any voltage to the drain
w.r.t, sources (i.e. when Vds=0), the depletion regions around the P-N junctions are of
equal thickness and symmetrical.
 When positive voltage is applied to the drain terminals D w.r.t sources terminals S without
connecting gate terminals G to supply as shown.
 The electrons flow from terminals S to terminal D whereas conventional drain current Id
flows through the channel from D to S.
 Due to flow of this current there is a uniform voltage drop across the channel resistance as
we move from terminal D to terminal S. Due to flow of this current there is a uniform
voltage drop across the channel resistance as we move from terminal D to terminal S.
 This voltage drop reverse biases the diode. The gate is more negative with respect to those
points in the channel which are nearer to D than to S. Hence depletion layer penetrate more
rapidly into the channel at points lying closer to D than to S. thus wedge shape depletion
layer is formed as shown in figure below . When Vds is applied the size of the depletion layer
formed determines the width of the channel and hence the magnitude of current Id flowing
through the channel.
 Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect (MOSFET)
 A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is a three terminal
semiconductor device.
 The three terminal are source, gate and drain.
 Unlike a FET in this device the gate is insulate from the channel and therefore
sometimes it is also known as insulated gate FET (IGFET).
 Because of this reason the gate current is very small whether the gate is positive or
negative.
 The MOSFET can be used in any of the circuits covered for the FET.
 Therefore all the equations apply equally well to MOSFET and FET in amplifier
connections
Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect (MOSFET)
 Construction
 The simple side view of an n-channel MOSFET is shown in fig. left the figure shows its
constructional details it is similar to FET except with following modifications:
 (i) There is only one p-region instead of two this region is known as substrate.
 (ii) Over the left side of the channel, a thin layer of metal oxide (usually silicon dioxide
SiO ) is deposited. A metallic gate is deposited over the layer of silicon dioxide as shown
below right . The gate is insulated from the channel since silicon dioxide is an insulator.
That is why it is also known as insulated gate FET.
 (iii) Since the gate is insulated from the channel by a thin layer of silicon dioxide, the
input impedance of MOSFET is very high (of the order of 10^10 to 10^15 ohms).
 (iv) Unlike the FET, a MOSFET has no gate diode rather it forms a capacitor. The
capacitor has gate and channel as electrodes and the oxide layer as dielectric. Because
of this property, the device can be operated with negative as well as positive gate
voltage.
 Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect (MOSFET)
 Working
 The circuit diagram of an n-channel MOSFET with normal polarities is shown fig.
below
 Unlike the FET a MOSFET has no gate rather it forms a capacitor which has two
electrodes i.e. gate and channel. The oxide layer acts as dielectric.
 When negative voltage is applied to the gate, electrons accumulate on it. These
electrons repel the conduction hand electrons in the n- channel.
 Therefore the number of conduction electrons available for current conduction
through the channel will reduce. The greater the negative potential on the gate, the
lesser is the current conduction from source to drain. However in this case if the
gate is given positive voltage, more electrons are made available in the n- channel.
Consequently, current from source to drain increases