Topic Overview

• Formally, when one simply said

“FET”, one meant a JFET.
• Key features of JFET include a large
input impedance and low
noisemaking them suitable for
impedance conversion and low
noise amplifier applications.
• A JFET can also be used as a simple
constant-current source.
Junction field effect transistor

• JFET is one of the simplest type of field effect transistor which have
three terminal semiconductors.
• Unlike PNP and NPN transistors ,the three terminals of a junction
field effect transistor are ,

• Source
• Gate
• drain
Junction field effect transistor working

o JFET is a voltage controlled device as it is controlled by use of a reverse bias

voltage to the gate terminal . The channel get drained and the electric current
becomes switched off.
o A JFET is usually said to be on when there is no voltage between the gate and
the source pin.
o JFET is usually two types as it is n-type or p-type channel as per working.
o In the n-type when the voltage source is connected to the gate is negative with
respect to the source, the current decreases .
o Correspondingly , when the JFET have a p-type channel, if the positive voltage
is applied to the gate with respect to the source the current becomes reduced.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
 JFET operation :
With Vgs=0;applied voltage Vds causes a current to pass through from drain to
source terminals.
If a negative gate to source voltage is applied, the depletion layer of the gate channel
junction widens and the channel becomes narrow .thus, channel resistance is
increased and id decreases for a given value of Vds. Because of small value of Vds,
the depletion layer is uniform and the device acts as a voltage variable resistance . As
value of Vgs is increased in negative direction, depletion layer gets widened until it
occupies the whole channel. This value of Vgs is called the PINCH OFF VOLTAGE
(Vp).
As Vds appears along the channel length, voltage rises along the channel from
source to drain.

As a result, depletion layer becomes non-uniform .

Reverse bias varies along the channel length and is highest at drain end and the
depletion layer is widest at drain end.

Hence channel resistance varies along the channel resistance varies along the
channel and characteristic curve becomes non-linear.
JFET PARAMETERS

• TRANSCONDUCTANCE (gm);
• In the meantime the, JFET is a voltage controlled current source,the gain is the
change in drain current divided by the change in gate voltage . This is termed
the transconductance gain of JFET.
• Transconductance is the ratio of change in drain current to change in the gate to
source voltage at a constant drain to source voltage (Vds=constant). So gm is
fundamentally the slope of change of id and in respect of change in Vgs with
constant Vds .
• This value is maximum at zero the gate to source voltage(Vgs=0).the maximum
value (gmo)is specified in a particular junction field effect transistor data
sheet.it is usually present in the units of conductance in particularly by unit
Siemens.
 • It is the resistance between drain and
AC drain source terminals, when junction field
resistance. effect transistor is operating in the
pinch off region.
• It is explained as the ratio of the
variation in drain-source voltage to
the variation in drain current at
constant the gate –source voltage.

• Amplification factor of a junction field

effect transistor specifies just how much
Amplification more control the gate voltage has over
factor
the drain voltage .
• For example if (meo) of a JFET is 30 ,it
signify that Vgs is 30 times as effective.
 The four different regions of operation for a junction field effect
transistor are explained as follow;

Breakdown
region
Saturation or • In the
active region breakdownregion,t
• During the he(VDS)-the
saturation region, voltage between
Cut-off the JFET acts a s the drain and the
region agood source must be
conductorand is sufficiently high to
• During the cut- cause the JFET act
controlled by the
off region, the gate-source as a resistive
gate voltage , is voltage.wheares passage
Ohmic cause the JFET to during that period tobreadownand to
act as an open the drain to source permit
region circuit as the voltage.(vds)has uncontrolled
• If the gate channel little or negligible current.
voltage is zero resistance is at influence.
then the maximum.
depletion region
is very minimal
and the JFET
performs as a
advantages disadvantages

1 junction field effect

transistor(JFET) has
1-High input small gain
impedance bandwidth product.
2- low noise 2- it has more
3- small size vulnerability to
damage during
High frequency
handling and
response
maintenance.