Electronic Devices and Circuits

Introduction to FET Transistor

Dr. Junaid Ahmed

Contents
Important terms related to JFET
 Shorted-gate drain current
 Pinch off voltage
 Gate-source cut off voltage
Expression for Drain Current (ID)
Numerical problems
Advantages of JFET
Parameters of JFET
 a.c. drain resistance
 Transconductance
 Amplification factor
Relation among JFET parameters
Numerical problems
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Important terms related to JFET:
For the analysis of a JFET circuit, the
following important terms are more
important:

1. Shorted-gate drain current (IDSS)

2. Pinch off voltage (VP)
3. Gate-source cut off voltage [VGS (off)]

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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
1. Shorted-gate drain current
(IDSS):

“It is the drain current with

source short-circuited to gate (i.e.
VGS= 0) and drain voltage (VD) equal
to pinch off voltage. It is sometimes
called zero-bias current.”

Figure-11 shows the JFET circuit

with VGS = 0 i.e., source shorted-
circuited to gate.
Figure-11: JFET Circuit

This is normally called shorted-gate

condition.
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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
1. Shorted-gate drain
current (IDSS): (cont.)

Figure-12 shows the graph

between ID and VDS for the
shorted gate condition.

The drain current rises rapidly

at first and then levels off at
pinch off voltage VP.
Figure-12: The graph
The drain current has now between ID and VDS
reached the maximum value
IDSS.
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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
1. Shorted-gate drain current (IDSS): (cont.)

When VDS is increased beyond VP, the depletion layers

expand at the top of the channel.

The channel now acts as a current limiter and holds drain

current constant at IDSS.

The following points may be noted carefully:

I. Since IDSS is measured under shorted gate conditions, it

is the maximum drain current that you can get with
normal operation of JFET.
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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
1. Shorted-gate drain current (IDSS): (cont.)

II. There is a maximum drain voltage VDS(max) that can be

applied to a JFET. If the drain voltage exceeds VDS(max),
JFET would breakdown as shown in Figure-12.

III. The region between VP and VDS(max) (breakdown

voltage) is called constant-current region or active
region. As long as VDS is kept within this range, ID will
remain constant for a constant value of VGS.

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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
2. Pinch off Voltage (VP):

“It is the minimum drain-

source voltage at which the drain
current essentially becomes constant.”

Figure-13 shows the drain curves

of a JFET. Note that pinch off
voltage is VP. The highest curve is
for VGS = OV, the shorted-gate
condition.
Figure-13: The drain
For values of VDS greater than VP, curves of a JFET
the drain current is almost constant.

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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
2. Pinch off Voltage (VP): (cont.)

It is because when VDS equals VP, the channel is effectively

closed and does not allow further increase in drain current.

It may be noted that for proper function of JFET, it is always

operated for VDS> VP. However, VDS should not exceed
VDS(max) otherwise JFET may breakdown.

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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
3. Gate-source cut off voltage VGS
:
(off)

“It is the gate-source voltage where

the channel is completely cut off and the
drain current becomes zero.”

The idea of gate-source cut off voltage

can be easily understood if we refer to
the transfer characteristic of a JFET
shown in Figure-14.

Figure-13: The transfer

As the reverse gate-source voltage is
characteristic of a JFET
increased, the cross-sectional area of
the channel decreases. This in turn
decreases the drain current.
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Important terms related to JFET: (cont.)
3. Gate-source cut off voltage VGS (off): (cont.)

At some reverse gate-source voltage, the depletion layers

extend completely across the channel.

In this condition, the channel is cut off and the drain current
reduces to zero.

The gate voltage at which the channel is cut off (i.e. channel
becomes non-conducting) is called gate-source cut off voltage
VGS(off).

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Expression for Drain Current (ID):
Expression for Drain Current (ID):

 The relation between IDSS and VP, is shown in Figure-14.

 We note that gate-source cut off voltage [i.e. VGS(off)] on the transfer
characteristic is equal to pinch off voltage VP on the drain characteristic i.e.

VP = │ VGS(off) │

Figure-14 12
Expression for Drain Current (ID):
Expression for Drain Current (ID): (cont.)

For example, if a JFET has VGS(off) = — 4V, then VP = 4V.

 The transfer characteristic of JFET shown in Figure-14 is part of a

parabola.

 A rather complex mathematical analysis yields the following expression

for drain current:

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Numerical problem:
Problem-1:
Fig:15

Solution:
Fig:15

Figure-15

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Numerical problem:
Problem-2:

Solution:

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Numerical problem:
Problem-3:

Solution:

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Advantages of JFET:
 A JFET is a voltage controlled device in which variations in input voltage
control the output current.

 It combines the many advantages of both bipolar transistor and vacuum

pentode.

Some of the advantages of a JFET are:

1. It has a very high input impedance (of the order of 100 MΩ). This permits
high degree of isolation between the input and output circuits.

2. The operation of a JFET depends upon the bulk material current carriers
that do not cross junctions. Therefore, the inherent noise of tubes (due to
high-temperature operation) and those of transistors (due to junction
transitions) are not present in a JFET.

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Advantages of JFET: (cont.)
3. A JFET has a negative temperature co-efficient of
resistance. This avoids the risk of thermal runaway.

4. A JFET has a very high power gain. This eliminates the

necessity of using driver stages.

5. A JFET has a smaller size, longer life and high efficiency.

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Parameters of JFET:
JFET has certain parameters which
determines its performance in as circuit. The
main parameters of a JFET are:

1. a.c. drain resistance

2. Transconductance
3. Amplification factor

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Parameters of JFET: (cont.)
1. a.c. drain resistance:

“It is the ratio of change in drain-source voltage

(∆VDS) to the change in drain current (∆ID) at constant
gate-source voltage”

rd = (∆VDS / ∆ID ) at constant VGS

For instance, if a change in drain voltage of 2 V

produces a change in drain current of 0.02 mA,

rd = (2 V / 0.02 mA) = 100 kΩ mA

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Parameters of JFET: (cont.)
2. Transconductance (g fs):

The control that the gate voltage has over the drain current is
measured by transconductance gfs, and is similar to the
transconductance gm of the tube.

“It is the ratio of change in drain current (∆ID) to the change

in gate-source voltage (∆VGS) at constant drain-source voltage.”

g fs = (∆ID / ∆VGS )

The transconductance of a JFET is usually expressed either in

mA/volt or micro-mho.
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Parameters of JFET: (cont.)
3. Amplification factor:

“It is the ratio of change in drain-source voltage

(∆VDS) to the change in gate-source voltage (∆VGS) at
constant drain current.”

µ = (∆VDS / ∆VGS) constant ID

Amplification factor of a JFET indicates how much

more control the gate voltage has over drain current
than has the drain voltage.
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Relation among JFET parameters:
The relation ship between JFET parameters can be established as
under:

We know: µ = (∆VDS / ∆VGS)

Multiplying the numerator and denominator on R.H.S by ∆ID

µ = (∆VDS / ∆VGS) × (∆ID / ∆ID )

µ = (∆VDS / ∆ID) × (∆ID / ∆VGS )

µ = rd × g fs

Amplification factor = a.c. drain resistance × transconductance

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Numerical problems:
Problem-4:

Solution:

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Any Questions ????????

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