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Agenda

ECEN 370
Electronic Properties of Materials
• Metal oxide semiconductor
• Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors
Created by Qammer H. Abbasi (MOSFET)
Modified by Jim Ji

2
Note lecture 17, 18

Review Review

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Metal-Oxide-Semi Junction MOS under external voltage

MOS plays an important role in MOSFET (MOS Field Effect Transistor)

MOSFET has an insulated gate, whose voltage determines

the conductivity of the device.

MOSFET is by far the most common transistor in digital circuits,

(memory or microprocessor). Since MOSFETs can be made
with either p-type or n-type semiconductors, complementary
pairs of MOS transistors can be used to make switching circuits
with very low power consumption, in the form of CMOS logic.
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Physics of Inversion Layer

MOS
• If the Oxide (insulation) layer is thick enough, nothing
could happen. The metal and semiconductor are as
independent (non-contact) materials (i.e. they don’t see
each other).
• If the Oxide layer is very thin, one can create a
significant potential drop across the semiconductor
material. If the drop is high enough, a thin layer of
holes with high concentration can accumulate at the
semiconductor-oxide interface despite the fact that the
semiconductor is n-type as shown. This thin layer of
holes is called the “inversion layer”.

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Physics of Inversion Layer

x
Fixed metal ions

Metal
+Q
(a) V
C E
-Q
Metal

Charge density
Mobile electrons
x

Metal
+Q
(b) V
E W
Depletion
-Q
region

Fixed acceptors Charge density

p-type semiconductor x

(c)
Inversion +Q
V > Vth layer
E Wn
Wa -Q

Conduction
electron Depletion Charge density
region

The field effect. (a) In a metal-air-metal capacitor, all the charges reside on the surface. (b)
Illustration of field penetration into a p-type semiconductor. (c) As the field increases eventually
when V > VT (threshold voltage) an inversion layer is created near the surface in which there
are conduction electrons. From Principles of Electronic Materials
Fig 6.35 and Devices, Third Edition, S.O. Kasap
(© McGraw-Hill, 2005)

Inversion Layer serves as a conducting channel

The MOS Transistor

MOSFET showing gate (G,metal), body (B, semiconductor),

source (S, ) and drain (D) terminals. The gate is separated
from the body by an insulating layer (white, silicon oxide (glass))

Source: Wikipedia

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The MOS Transistor MOS Transistor in 3D

Gate Oxide Polysilicon

Gate
(conductor)
Polysilicon Aluminum
Source Drain Field-Oxide
(SiO2)
n+ n+

p+ stopper
p-substrate

Bulk Contact

CROSS-SECTION of NMOS Transistor

How MOSFETS and Field-Effect

NMOS
Transistors Work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO5FgM7MLGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz62t-q_KEc

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MOSFET Transistor Basic Operation of MOSFET

VDS = 4V
VDS
VGS =3V I D= 0 ID
Vth = 4 V VGS = 8 V ID = 4.2 mA
S G ID
D
S G D IDS
VDS A P
Depletion VDS
n+ p n+ VDS(sat)
region n+ n+
p
(a) Below threshold VGS < Vth and VDS > 0
(c) Above threshold VGS > Vth and saturation, VDS = VDS(sat)
VDS = 0.5 V VDS = 10 V

Source
Symbol Gate Drain VGS = 8 V
Vth = 4 V
ID = 1 mA ID
VGS = 8 V ID = 4.5 mA
ID
S G D Metal electrodes S G D S D
n G
A B A
V DS
D VDS
SiO 2 insulation n+ n+ n-channel is the n+ P' n+
p inversion layer p
n+ p n+ Heavily doped G Blk
(b) Above threshold VGS > Vth and VDS < VDS(sat) (d) Above threshold V GS > V th and saturation region, V DS > V DS(sat)
n-region
p-type substrate S
The MOSFET ID vs VDS characteristics
Depletion layer
Blk Bulk (Substrate) From Principles of Electronic Materials
Fig 6.37 and Devices, Third Edition, S.O. Kasap
(© McGraw-Hill, 2005)

Switch Model of NMOS Transistor PMOS

| VGS | Gate

Source Drain
(of carriers) (of
carriers)

Open (off) (Gate = ‘0’) Closed (on) (Gate = ‘1’)

Ron

| VGS | < | VT | | VGS | > | VT |

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Switch Model of PMOS Transistor MOS transistors Symbols

D D

| VGS | Gate
G G

Source Drain S
(of carriers) (of carriers)
S Channel
NMOS Enhancement NMOS Depletion
D D

Open (off) (Gate = ‘1’) Closed (on) (Gate = ‘0’)

Ron G G B

S S

| VGS | > | VDD – | VT | | | VGS | < | VDD – |VT| | PMOS Enhancement NMOS with
Bulk Contact

Ideal MOS Diode n-type, Vappl=0 Ideal MOS Diode p-type, Vappl=0

Assume Flat-band
at equilibrium
qfS

EC
EF
Ei
EV

ECE 663 ECE 663

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MOSFET - Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation

Transistor Operation in the Cutoff region
• The most common field effect transistor in both digital and analog circuits.
• Uses channel of n or p-type semiconductor, named NMOSFET and PMOSFET, respectively. pn junction:
• Silicon is the main choice of semiconductor used, however SiGe is used by some chip manufacturers.
• Some other more common semiconductors such as GaAs are not useful in MOSFETs because they do not form reverse bias
good gate oxides.
• At the gate terminal is composed a of a layer of polysilicon with a thin layer of silicon dioxide which acts as an
insulator between the gate and the conducting channel.
• When in operation a potential is applied between the source and gate, generating an electric field through the
oxide layer, creating an inversion channel in the conducting channel, also known as a depletion region.
• The inversion channel is of the same type as the source and drain, creating a channel in which current can pass iD=0
for vGS<Vt0
through. In the case of n-type as shown on the right, the charge carriers will be holes.
• By varying the potential between the gate and body, this channel in which current flows can be altered to allow
more or less or current to flow through, depending on its size.

Schematic

When vGS=0 then iD=0 until vGS>Vt0 (Vt0 –threshold voltage)

n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation

Operation in the Triode Region Operation in the Triode Region

For vDS<vGS-Vt0 and vGS>Vt0 the NMOS is operating in the triode region

Resistor like characteristic


i D  K 2v GS  Vt 0 v DS  v DS
2

(R between S & D,  W  KP
K  
Used as voltage controlled R) L 2
For small vDS, iD is proportional Device parameter KP for
to the excess voltage vGS-Vt0 NMOSFET is 50 mA/V2

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n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation

Operation in the Saturation Region (vDS is increased)

An nMOS has W=160 mm, L=2 mm, KP= 50 mA/V2 and Vto=2 V.
Tapering
of the Plot the drain current characteristic vs drain to source voltage
channel
 
for vGS=3 V.
- increments i D  K 2vGS  Vt 0 v DS  v DS
2

of iD are
 W  KP
smaller i D  K vGS  Vt 0  K  
2
when L 2
vDS is
larger When vGD=Vt0 then the channel
thickness is 0 and

i D  K vGS  Vt 0 
2

n-channel MOSFET Basic Operation p-channel MOSFET Basic Operation

It is constructed by interchanging the n and p regions of n-
channel MOSFET.
Characteristic
Symbol
Characteristic

Channel length i D  Kv DS
2

modulation
id depends on vDS in
saturation region How does p-channel
(approx: iD =const in MOSFET operate?
saturation region) -voltage polarities
-iD current
-schematic

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Summary MOSFET Operation Summary

• The MOSFET can be categorized into three separate modes when MOSFET
in operation.
• The first is the sub-threshold or cut-off mode: VGS < Vt, where Vt Structure
is the threshold voltage. In the example shown Vt = 1V. In this
mode the device is essentially off, and in the ideal case there is no
Operation principle
current flowing through the device.
• The second mode of operation is the linear region when VGS > Vt
Characteristics
and

,
VDS < VGS − Vt. Essentially, the MOSFET operates similar to a
resistor in this mode with a linear relation between voltage and
current.
• Lastly, saturation mode occurs when VGS > Vt and VDS > VGS −
Vt. In this mode the switch is on and conducting, however since
drain voltage is higher than the gate voltage, part of the channel is
turned off. This mode corresponds to the region to the right of the
dotted line, which is called the pinch-off voltage.
• Pinch-off occurs when the MOSFET stops operating in the linear
region and saturation occurs.
• In digital circuits MOSFETS are only operated in the linear mode,
while the saturation region is reserved for analogue circuits.