The Difference Between NMOS, PMOS and CMOS transistors

NMOS:
NMOS is built with n-type source and drain and a p-type substrate,
In a NMOS, carriers are electrons
When a high voltage is applied to the gate, NMOS will conduct
When a low voltage is applied in the gate, NMOS will not conduct
NMOS are considered to be faster than PMOS, since the carriers in NMOS, which
are electrons, travel twice as fast as holes.
NMOS ICs would be smaller than PMOS ICs
NMOS can provide one-half of the impedance provided by a PMOS
NMOS represents N type MOS transistor.
PMOS:
PMOS is built with p-type source and drain and a n-type substrate.
PMOS, carriers are holes.
When a high voltage is applied to the gate, PMOS will not conduct
When a low voltage is applied in the gate, PMOS will conduct
Which are the carriers in PMOS.
PMOS devices are more immune to noise than NMOS devices.
PMOS represents P type MOS transistor.
CMOS:
CMOS means Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistor. CMOS
circuit contains PMOS transistor and NMOS transistor.
CMOS is more of a process technology term.
Written 15 Feb View Upvotes

Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

What exactly Trigate Transistor Technology is and how is it differ with

ordinary transistor?

What is the difference between a process and a transistor model?

What is the fabrication process of NMOS transistor?

What does it mean to complete a CMOS circuit with transistor

complements?
What is the difference between CMOS and MOS circuits?

Amitabh Songara (Electroker), I am an Electronics and Communication Engineer.

22.3k Views Amitabh has 30+ answers in Engineering

NMOS - N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor logic uses n-type field effect

transistors (MOSFETs) to implement logic gates and other digital circuits. These
nMOS transistors operate by creating an inversion layer in a p-type transistor body.
This inversion layer, called the n-channel, can conduct electrons between n-type
"source" and "drain" terminals. The n-channel is created by applying voltage to the
third terminal, called the gate. Like other MOSFETs, nMOS transistors have four
modes of operation: cut-off (or sub-threshold), triode, saturation (sometimes called
active), and velocity saturation.
NMOS logic
PMOS - P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor logic uses p-channel metal-oxidesemiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) to implement logic gates and
other digital circuits. PMOS transistors operate by creating an inversion layer in an
n-type transistor body. This inversion layer, called the p-channel, can conduct holes
between p-type "source" and "drain" terminals.
The p-channel is created by applying voltage to the third terminal, called the gate.
Like other MOSFETs, PMOS transistors have four modes of operation: cut-off (or
subthreshold), triode, saturation (sometimes called active), and velocity saturation.
PMOS logic
CMOS - Complementary metaloxidesemiconductor (CMOS) is a technology for
constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors,
microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits. CMOS technology is
also used for several analog circuits such as image sensors (CMOS sensor), data
converters, and highly integrated transceivers for many types of communication. In
1963, while working for Fairchild Semiconductor, Frank Wanlass patented CMOS
CMOS
H2H (Happy 2 Help)

Written 4 Feb View Upvotes

Pravin Parmar
24.2k Views

NMOS:Four terminals: gate, source, drain, body

Gate oxide body stack looks like a capacitor
Gate and body are conductors
SiO2 (oxide) is a very good insulator
Called metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor
Body is usually tied to ground (0 V)
When the gate is at a low voltage:
P-type body is at low voltage
Source-body and drain-body diodes are OFF
No current flows, transistor is OFF

When the gate is at a high voltage:

Positive charge on gate of MOS capacitor
Negative charge attracted to body
Inverts a channel under gate to n-type
Now current can flow through n-type silicon from source through
channel to drain, transistor is ON

PMOS:Similar, but doping and voltages reversed

Body tied to high voltage (VDD)
Gate low: transistor ON
Gate high: transistor OFF
Bubble indicates inverted behavior

CMOS:Typically use p-type substrate for nMOS transistors

Requires n-well for body of pMOS transistors