How to Know if MOSFET is Defective

Below are the guides on how to know if MOSFET is defective. These are the
most common techniques that can be used to check if MOSFET is defective.

Step #1 on How to Know if MOSFET is Defective

Diode Check
The first thing we will try on how to know if MOSFET is defective is to
check the diode drop. Get a DMM and set it to diode mode. For NMOS,
follow below setup.
For PMOS, follow the setup below.

A good MOSFET should have a reading of 0.4V to 0.9V (depends on the

MOSFET type). If the reading is zero, the MOSFET is defective. When the
reading is “open” or no reading, the MOSFET is also defective.

When you reverse the DMM probe connections, the reading should be
“open” or no reading for a good MOSFET. If the reading is zero, the
MOSFET is defective.

Step #2 on How to Know if MOSFET is Defective

:Resistance Check
 

The next method to use on how to know if MOSFET is defective is to

conduct a resistance check. A good MOSFET should have high resistance
between drain-source regardless of the DMM probe polarity.

The gate to source has also high resistance in either way for a good
MOSFET. However, you should take note that when you put the positive of
the DMM to the gate and the negative to the source of an NMOS, the
MOSFET will turn on. You might mistakenly judge that the MOSFET is
defective when you measure drain-to source resistance since the DMM will
read 0 ohm.

The same to PMOS, when you put the positive terminal to the source and
the negative terminal of the DMM to the gate, the MOSFET will turn on.
If you measure the resistance of the MOSFET terminal to terminal, you
should consider the associated resistors for these affect the reading. For
example in below circuit, when you measure the resistance across gate to
source, what you read is not high resistance but the value of R1 which is
10k. Removing the 10k resistor will make the reading high.

Step #3 on How to Know if MOSFET is Defective

:Continuity Test
The third method on how to now if MOSFET is Defective is to do continuity
test. Set the DMM to continuity mode. In modern DMM continuity mode
usually have audible sound when the measured points are connected. Put
the positive to drain and the negative of the DMM to source or vice versa,
when the reading is zero or the DMM sound persists, the device is damage;
shorted drain-source. Use the same approach to the other leads of the
MOSFET and use the same judgement. However, when you put the positive
of the DMM to the gate and the negative to the source for NMOS or other
way around for PMOS; the device will turn on and when you measure
continuity between drain to source; the reading is zero. You might misjudge
that the MOSFET is defective. To verify, turn off the device and measure
again the continuity. To turn off an NMOS, put the DMM positive terminal
to source while the negative terminal to the gate. Do otherwise to turn off a
PMOS. A good MOSFET should have no continuity between terminals. If it
has, it is defective indeed.

Summary on How to Know if MOSFET is Defective

Above techniques are common on how to know if MOSFET is defective. I
know there are few other techniques out there. So I suggest combine the
above techniques to the other techniques you learned so that you can
perform accurate troubleshooting.