MOSFET

MOSFET
• Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect
Transistor (MOSFET) is a 3 terminal
devices
• Widely used in Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Take a block of p-type semiconductor. This block is called substrate or based.
2 regions are formed with highly doped n-type impurities
Source and Drain are connected to the n-type region
 SiO2

The entire surface of the substrate is coated with Silicon Dioxide

which act as insulator
Thin metallic plate which act as gate contact is formed
Gate is insulated (no connection) from substrate
Drain and Source are connected to n-type region
 MOSFET Operation

No current flowing between Drain and Source. No virtual channel between Drain and
Source
Now voltage is applied at the Gate terminal
When gate voltage is applied, negative free electron in p-type substrate will be
attracted to gate
Electrons are accumulated towards the gate contact plate and creating a
CHANNEL
Channel is formed between Drain and Source.
Channel width depends on applied gate voltage
When VG is = 0, ID = 0 (except current from minority carriers). If the gate
voltage is gradually increased, after certain minimum applied VG, drain to source
current start flowing through the CHANNEL.
This voltage (certain minimum applied VG) is called Threshold Voltage
 E-MOSFET
• E-MOSFET has no structural channel.
• Operates only in ENHANCEMENT mode

Enhancement Mode

With a positive voltage above a threshold value on the gate, an induced

channel of thin layer of –ve charges is created.
The conductivity of channel is enhanced by increase VGS and thus pulling more
electrons into channel area.
 D-MOSFET
• Drain and Source connected by narrow channel
• Can be operated in DEPLETION or ENHANCEMENT modes.

Depletion Mode Enhancement Mode

• A negative gate-to-source voltage is

applied.
• With negative gate voltage, negative
The gate-to-source is made more positive,
charges on the gate repel electrons from
attracting more electrons into the channel
channel, leaving +ve ions in their place.
for better current flow and thus enhancing
• N-channel is depleted of some electron, the channel conductivity
thus decreasing channel conductivity.
 MOSFET Characteristics and
Parameters

Since most of the characteristics and

parameters of MOSFETs are the same as
JFETs we will cover only the key
differences.
 D-MOSFET
• The D-MOSFET operate in either +ve or
–ve gate voltages.
• The point on the curves where VGS=0
corresponds to IDSS.
• The point where ID=0 corresponds to
VGS(off).
• As with JFET, VGS(off)=-VP.
• The equation to find drain is similar as
JFET:
• ID = IDSS(1 - VGS/VGS(off) )2
E-MOSFET
• The E-MOSFET for all practical
purposes does not conduct until VGS
reaches the threshold voltage
(VGS(th)).
• ID when conducting can be
determined by the formulas below.
• The constant K must first be
determined from data sheet by
taking ID(on) at any given value of
VGS on a particular MOSFET.
K = ID(on) /(VGS - VGS(th))2
ID = K(VGS - VGS(th))2
Example of fabricated MOSFET
 Example 7-13
• For a certain D-MOSFET, IDSS=10mA and
VGS(off)=-8V.
a) Is this n-channel or a p-channel?
b) Calculate ID at VGS=-3V.
c) Calculate ID at VGS=+3V.

Solution:
d) The device has a –ve VGS(off), this is an n-channel
MOSFET.
e) ID=IDSS(1-VGS/VGS(off))2=(10mA)(1- (-3/-8))2 =3.91mA
f) ID=(10mA)(1- (+3/-8))2=18.9mA
 MOSFET Biasing- zero bias
The three ways to bias a MOSFET are zero-bias, voltage-divider
bias, and drain-feedback bias.
For D-MOSFET zero biasing as the name implies has no applied
bias voltage to the gate. The input voltage swings it into depletion
and enhancement mode.
 Zero bias

• Since VGS=0 and ID=IDSS, the drain-to-source voltage

is:
VDS = VDD – IDSSRD

• The purpose of RG is to accommodate ac signal input

by isolating it from ground as shown in figure (b)
above. Since there is no dc gate current, RG does
not affect the zero gate-to-source bias.
MOSFET Biasing- voltage divider bias
For E-MOSFETs zero biasing cannot
be used. Voltage-divider bias must be
used to set the VGS greater than the
threshold voltage (VGS(th)). ID can be
determined as follows. To determine
VGS, normal voltage divider methods
can be used. The following formula
can be applied.
VGS = (R2 / (R1+R2))VDD
VDS = VDD - IDRD
K = ID(on)/(VGS - VGS(th))2
ID = K(VGS -VGS(th))2
VDS can be determined by application of
Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s voltage law to
the drain circuit.
 Example 7-16
• Determine VGS and VDS for E-MOSFET circuit
below. Assume MOSFET has minimum values of
ID(on)=200mA at VGS=4V and VGS(th)=2V.
 Solution example 7-16
 R2   15k 
VGS 
 
V DD   24  3.13V
 R1  R2   115 k 
I D ( on) 200mA
K   50 mA / V 2

(VGS  VGS ( th) ) 2 ( 4  2) 2

I D  K (VGS  VGS ( th) ) 2  50mA / V 2 ( 3.13  2) 2  63.8mA

V DS  V DD  I D R D  24  (63.8m )( 200)  11 .2V

 Example 7-17
• Determine VGS and VDS for E-MOSFET circuit
below. Assume MOSFET has minimum values of
ID(on)=100mA at VGS=4V and VGS(th)=3V.
 MOSFET Applications
MOSFET applied in the semiconductor
industry for :
• VLSI Circuits
• Memory Devices ( DRAM, SRAM,
Nonvolatile Memory)
• CMOS Digital Circuit
• Microprocessors
 MOSFET Advantages
• In CMOS, perfect zero current when input
switch off. Good logic 1 and logic 0 condition.
• Ability to scale down in size. (Channel length,
width, area)
• Ability to control threshold voltage when
device shrink. Quick switching.
• Oxide layer between gate and channel prevent
DC flow – Power Consumption.
• Low power consumption allow more
components per chip surface area.
 Summary

 MOSFETs differ in construction in that the gate

is insulated from the channel.
 D-MOSFETs can operate in both depletion and
enhancement modes. E-MOSFETs can only operate
in the enhancement mode.
 E-MOSFETs have no physical channel. A channel
is induced with VGS greater than VGS(th).
 E-MOSFETs have no IDSS parameter.