1)Why can’t there be any channel without a gate voltage?

A channel is created because of continuity of charges. Initially, when no gate

voltage is given, there is a presence of 2 p-n junctions on both sides (source
and drain).Each p-n junction results in a vertical depletion layer which
restricts the continuity of charges and thus no channel is formed.

2)What is the main function of gate voltage?

It helps to rip off the holes present in the upper part of the p-substrate,
expose the negative immobile ions creating a depletion layer,and then an
inversion layer which finally results in the creation of the n-channel.

Basically,it helps to convert the upper part of the p-type semiconductor to

n-type and thus create homogeneity of n type semiconductor in the upper
part of the MOSFET.

3)In a MOSFET,due to the gate voltage,the holes get pushed down

creating a depletion region and then the electrons are attracted upwards
creating an inversion layer.Why can’t we say that the upcoming electrons
will get repelled by the immobile negative ions present in the depletion
region?

Each immobile ion doesn’t actually contain one extra electron. A negative
immobile ion is seen as an atom which is in need of an electron. Therefore,as
it doesn’t necessarily contain an extra –ve charge it shouldn’t repel an
electron.

Also, the upcoming electrons are itself responsible for converting the atoms
into negative ions by filling up the holes present in the atoms.

The process of recombination occurs which directly converts a hole into a

negative immobile ion.This creates a depletion region.But as the gate voltage
becomes more positive and more electrons are attracted upwards,all the
holes closer to the gate are filled and any more increase in the gate
potential makes electrons pile up in the uppermost region,creating an
inversion layer(n-type semiconductor).On the other hand,there is still a
depletion region below this inversion layer,as all the electrons got used up in
creating the inversion layer.

4)When do we say a MOSFET is ON?

A)When the channel gets created

B)When there is flow of mobile charges in the channel.

Ans:A)

5)Do we have any dielectric in a MOSFET?If so what is it and where is

it present in a MOSFET?

Yes,a MOSFET structure is derived from a capacitor only.So we have a

dielectric.It’s made up of SiO2 layer and present between the gate terminal
and the p-substrate.

6)Why do we need the two n-type semiconductors in a MOSTFET? Why

can’t we have only one whole p-substrate and the source and drain
connected to that directly?

For 2 reasons:
1)There can be Ohmic Contact only between a heavily doped n-type
semiconductor and a metal,whereas the substrate is lightly doped p type
semiconductor

2)The n-type semiconductors being heavily doped provide electrons to the n-

channel.

7)How can we say that the MOSFET is a voltage controlled current

source?

In a MOSFET,two electric field exist.One horizontal,which results in the

flow of charge carriers from drain to source and the other vertical which
results in the creation of the n-channel and also controls the resistivity of
the n-channel.The vertical electric field is responsible for the number of
electrons that enter the n channel from the p-substrate and thus it can
control the horizontal current.

8)Why can’t the electrons go to the substrate from the source through
the wire which is used to short the source and substrate?

The substrate is maintained at negative potential to prevent this from

happening. If this wasn’t done, the electrons coming from the heavily doped
n-type source could easily enter the p-type substrate instead of entering
the n-channel. As electrons being negatively charged would easily get
attracted to the positively charged holes present at the bottom of the
substrate(note that they are present in large number at the bottom part
because repulsion from the positive gate terminal).But still the electrons of
the source choose the path of n channel. We also note that the n-type
source is given negative voltage, which repels the electrons and they are
forced take the path of n-channel.

Also,the p-n junctions formed between the substrate and drain and between
source and substrate are reverse biased cutting off any chance of flow of
current.

9)Why do we short the source and substrate terminals?

The source should be maintained at a negative potential to make the
electrons of the n-type semiconductor move into the n-channel and facilitate
the flow of current.

The substrate is also maintained at a negative potential to push the minority

electrons into the n-channel and attract the positive holes downwards from
the n-channel.

As both the source and substrate are supposed to be given a negative

potential,we just short them with the same wire and achieve the task easily.

10)Why can’t current flow between the source-substrate pair or the

substrate drain pair?

Two intrinsic body diodes are formed in a MOSFET as follows:

We all know that a diode should be forward biased in order to allow some
significant flow of current.

The source substrate junction is unbiased as both the terminals are shorted.

The substrate drain p-n junction is reverse biased as the drain is maintained
at +ve potential and substrate at –ve potential.

11)What are constituents of the inversion layer and the depletion layer
in a MOSFET?

Inversion layer-free mobile electrons

Depletion layer-immobile negative ions

12)Why is the body connected to the most negative terminal?

We see a diode forming between the n channel and the p-substrate.We don’t
want any current to flow through this diode and the only way to do this is to
keep it reverse biased at all times.So we make the p-type substrate the
most negative.

13)How does MOSFET work as a variable resistor?

The number of electrons present in the n channel can be controlled using the
gate voltage. Thus we can control the resistance of this channel making
MOSFET a variable resistor.

14)In a MOSFET the movement of electrons in the channel from source

to drain can be termed as diffusion or drift?

Drift because the movement happens as a result of horizontal electric field

between the source and the drain.

When the movement of charge happens by itself, it’s called diffusion

whereas forced movement of charges due to an electric field is called drift.

15)Which physical/design factors of the MOSFET can affect the drain

current?

• Channel Length-Inversely Proportional to Drain Current

 • Oxide Thickness-Inversely Proportional to Drain Current
• Width of transistor-Directly Proportional to Drain Current

16)Why is the substrate lightly doped when we can actually achieve a lower
threshold voltage if there are more minority carriers?

17)Which effect of MOSFET is similar to early effect in BJT?

Channel Length Modulation

18)R should become infinity once MOS enters the saturation region.

19)Velocity Saturation effect.Why do we ignore V(x) in the equation of Id?

20)Why does Vth increase with an increase in the Body Source Voltage?