MOSFET

The MOSFET is an abbreviation for Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect transistor. Like JFET it has a source, gate and drain. However, unlike JFET, the gate of a MOSFET is insulated from the channel. Because of this MOSFET is also called as IGFET ( Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor).

TYPES OF MOSFET
There are two basic types of MOSFETs Depletion type MOSFET (D-type MOSFET) Enhancement type MOSFET ( E-type MOSFET)

DEPLETION TYPE N- CHANNEL MOSFET

It consists of a conducting bar of N-type material with an insulated gate on the left and P-region on the right. Free electrons can flow from the source to drain through the N-type material. The P-region is called the substrate. It physically reduces the conduction path to a narrow channel. A thin layer of silicon dioxide is deposited on the left side of the channel. This layer insulates the gate from the channel. Because of this negligible gate current flows even when the gate voltage is positive. The basic construction of a depletion type P channel MOSFET is similar to that of N-channel MOSFET except the conducting bar is of P-type material and the substrate is of N-type material.

WORKING OF A DEPLETION TYPE N-CHANNEL MOSFET:

The depletion type MOSFET can be operated in two regions as given below: Depletion mode (when Gate-Source voltage is negative) Enhancement mode (when Gate-Source voltage is positive)

DEPLETION MODE

Figure shows a MOSFET with negative Gate-Source voltage.

The negative voltage on the Gate induces a positive charge in the channel. Because of this, free electrons in the vicinity of positive charge are repelled away in the channel. As a result of this the channel is depleted of free electrons. This reduces the number of free electrons (which constitute the drain current) passing through the channel. Thus as the value of negative GateSource voltage is increased , the channel is totally depleted of free electrons and therefore the drain current reduces to zero. Thus with the negative gate voltage, the operation of MOSFET is similar to that of a JFET. Thus the negative gate voltage depletes the channel of free electrons. It is due to this fact the working of a MOSFET, with a negative voltage, is called Depletion mode. The depletion type MOSFET can conduct even if gate to source voltage is zero.

ENHANCEMENT MODE

Figure shows a MOSFET with a positive gate to source voltage. The positive gate voltage increases the number of free electrons passing through the channel. The greater the gate voltage, greater is the number of free electrons passing through the channel. This increases the conductivity of the channel. Because of this fact, this mode is called as the Enhancement mode.

DRAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF DEPLETION TYPE N-CHANNEL MOSFET

The drain characteristic for the N-channel type MOSFET is plotted for both positive and negative values of gate to source voltage (VGS) in the common source configuration. When VGS 0, the MOSFET operates in the depletion mode. When VGS 0, the MOSFET operates in the enhancement mode.

The drain characteristic of depletion type MOSFET is similar to that of a JFET. The only difference is that JFET doesnt operate for positive values of gate-to-source voltage.

TRANSFER CHARACTERISTIC OF DEPLETION TYPE MOSFET

The figure shows the transconductance for an N-channel depletion-type MOSFET. Here the region AB of the curve is similar to that of JFET. But here the curve extends for positive values of gate-source voltage (VGS) also. The value IDSS represents the current from drain-to-source with VGS = 0. The drain current at any point along the transfer characteristic can be given by the relation,

ID = IDSS (1 -

)2

Even if VGS = 0, the device has a drain current equal to IDSS .Due to this fact, it is called normallyON MOSFET.

SYMBOL FOR DEPLETION TYPE MOSFET

ENHANCEMENT TYPE N- CHANNEL MOSFET

The enhancement type MOSFET has no depletion mode and acts only in the enhancement mode. It differs in the construction from the depletion-type MOSFET in the sense that it has no physical channel. The P-type substrate extends all the way to the silicon dioxide layer.

This MOSFET is always operated with a positive gate to source voltage VGS . When the VGS = 0, the VDD supply tries to force free electrons from source-to-drain. But the presence of P-region does not permit the electrons to pass through it. Thus there is no drain current for VGS = 0. Due to this fact, the enhancement type MOSFET is also called as normally-OFF MOSFET. Now, if some positive voltage is applied at the gate, it induces a negative charge in the P-type substrate just adjacent to the silicon dioxide layer. The induced negative charge is produced by attracting the free electrons from the source. When the gate is positive enough, it can attract a number of free electrons. This forms a thin layer of electrons, which stretches from the source to the drain. This effect is equivalent to producing a thin layer of N-type channel in the P-type substrate. This layer of free electrons is called N-type inversion layer. The minimum gate-to-source voltage which produces the inversion layer, is called threshold voltage and is designated by VGS(th) . When VGS < VGS(th) , the inversion layer connects the drain and source and we get a significant value of current.

SYMBOL FOR ENHANCEMENT TYPE MOSFET

DRAIN CHARSCTERISTICS FOR ENHANCEMENT TYPE MOSFET

The figure shows the drain characteristics for N-channel enhancement type MOSFET. When VGS < VGS(th) there should be no current , but in actual practice an extremely small value of drain

current flows through the MOSFET. This current flow is due to the thermally generated electrons in the P-type substrate. When the value of VGS > VGS(th) , a significant current flows. The value of drain current increases with the increase in the gate to source voltage. It is because of the fact that the width of the inversion layer widens for increased values of VGS and therefore allows a number of free electrons to pass through it. The drain current reaches its saturation value above a certain value of drain-to-source voltage VDS .

TRANSFER CHARACTERISTIC FOR ENHANCEMENT TYPE MOSFET

The figure shows the transfer characteristic for N-channel enhancement type MOSFET. Here there is no drain current when VGS = 0 . However as the value of VGS is increased above threshold voltage, the drain current increases rapidly.

ADVANTAGES OF N-CHANNEL MOSFET OVER P-CHANNEL

The charge carriers in N-channel devices ( e- ) have greater mobility than the charge carriers in P-channel devices (holes). Since current is directly proportional to the mobility, the current in N-channel MOSFET is more than two times that of P-channel MOSFET for the same direction. N-channel MOSFET has high packing density.

MOSFET AS A RESISTOR
The depletion type MOSFET may be used as a resistor, if the gate is connected to the source so that the gate-to-source voltage VGS = 0 . The enhancement type MOSFET may be connected as a resistor , if its gate is connected to the drain so that VGS = VDS .

MOSFET AS A SWITCH
When the signal applied to the gate stops drain current, MOSFET acts like an open switch and when the gate signal drives the circuit into saturation, the MOSFET acts like a closed switch. E-MOSFETs are excellent devices for use as switched because with no gate signal, they are in the OFF state. However with positive gate signal, the device is ON. When MOSFET is in series with a load and is OF all the signal voltage across the high impedance RDS, and the MOSFET and the o/p voltage across RL is zero. When the MOSFET is ON, the signal voltage divides between RL and RDS. Since RL >> RDS , most of the voltage drops across RL . In the figure MOSFET is connected in parallel with RL . If RS is smaller than RL but much larger than , the circuit can control the voltage dropped on the load. When MOSFET is OFF, most of the voltage will be delivered to the load because RL >> RS . But when the MOSFET is ON, it shunts RL thereby causing the input voltage to be dropped across RS .