CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.57 CHAPTER 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR Table of Contents 4.1. INTRODUCTION 58 4.2. JFET CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLS 58 4.3. JFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS 59 4.4. JFET BIAS LINE AND LOAD LINE 62 4.5. MOSFET CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLS 63 4.6. MOSFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS 64 Table of Figures Fig. 4-1 JFET Constructions and Symbols 59 Fig. 4-2 JFET terminal characteristics 61 Fig. 4-3 JFET amplifier bias 62 Fig. 4-4 MOSFET construction and symbol 64 Fig. 4.5 MOSFET terminal characteristics 65 Fig. 4-6 MOSFET amplifier bias 66 CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.58 CHAPTER 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR 4.1. INTRODUCTION The operation of the field-effect transistor (FET) can be explained in terms of only majority-carrier (one-polarity) charge flow; the transistor is therefore called unipolar. Two kinds of field-effect devices are widely used: the junction field- effect transistor (JFET) and the metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). 4.2. JFET CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLS Conduction is by the passage of charge carriers from source (S) to drain (D) through the channel between the gate (G) elements. The transistor can be an n-channel device (conduction by electrons) or a p-channel device (conduction by holes); a discussion of n-chanel devices applies equally to p-channel devices if complementary (opposite in sign) voltages and currents are used. CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.59 Fig. 4-1 JFET Constructions and Symbols 4.3. JFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS Output or drain charactersistics for an n-channel JFET in common- source (CS) connection with 0 GS v  . CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.60 For a constant value of GS v , JFET acts as a linear resistive device (in the ohmic region) until the depletion region of the reverse-biased gate- source junction extends the width of the channel (a condition called pinchoff). Above pinchoff but below avalanche breakdown, drain current D i remains nearly constant as DS v is increased. The shorted-gate parameters DSS I and 0 p V are defined as indicated in Fig. 4-2(a); typically 0 p V is between 4 and 5 V. As gate potential decreases, the pinchoff voltage, that is, the source- to-drain voltage p V at which pinchoff occurs, also decreases, approximately obeying the equation: 0 p p GS V V v   CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.61 Fig. 4-2 JFET terminal characteristics The drain current shows an approximate square-law dependence on source-to-gate voltage for constant values of DS v in the pinchoff region: 2 0 1 GS D DSS p v i I V           CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.62 4.4. JFET BIAS LINE AND LOAD LINE Fig. 4-3 JFET amplifier bias CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.63 The commonly used voltage-divider bias arrangement of Fig. 4-3(a) can be reduced to its equivalent in Fig. 4-3 (b), where the Thévenin parameters are given by: 1 2 1 2 G R R R R R   and 1 1 2 GG DD R V V R R   . With 0 G i  , application of KVL around the gate-source loop of Fig. 4-3(b) yields the equation of the transfer bias line, GG GS D S S V v i R R   Which can be solved simultaneously with transfer characteristics or plotted as indicated on Fig. 4-2(b) to yield DQ I and GSQ V , two of the necessary three quiescent variables. Application of KVL around the drain-source loop of Fig.4-3(b) leads to the equation of the dc load line, DD DS D S D S D V v i R R R R     So:   DSQ DD S D DQ V V R R I    4.5. MOSFET CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLS The n-channel MOSFET has only a single p region (called the substrate), one side of which acts as a conducting channel. A metallic gate is separated from the conducting channel by an insulating metal oxide (usually SiO 2 ), where the name insulated-gate FET (IGFET) for the CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.64 device. The p-channel MOSFET, formed by interchanging p and n semiconductor materials, is described by complementary voltages and currents. Fig. 4-4 MOSFET construction and symbol 4.6. MOSFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS In an n-channel MOSFET, the gate (positive plate), metal oxide film (dielectric), and substrate (negative plate) form a capacitor, the electric field of which controls channel resistance. When the positive of the gate reaches a threshold voltage T V (typically 2 to 4 V), sufficient free electrons attracted to the region immediately beside the metal oxide film (this is called enhancement- mode operation) to induce a conducting channel of low resistivity. If the source-to-drain voltage is increased, in the JFET. CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.65 Fig. 4.5 MOSFET terminal characteristics CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.66 Fig. 4-6 MOSFET amplifier bias The enhancement-mode MOSFET, operating in the pinchoff region, and if the substrate is shorted to the source. Then: 2 1 GS D Don T v i I V           where GS T v V  . . CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.57 CHAPTER 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR Table of Contents 4. 1. INTRODUCTION 58 4. 2 CHAPTER 4: Characteristics Field-Effect Transistor Val de Loire Program p.58 CHAPTER 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR 4. 1. INTRODUCTION The operation of the field-effect. 58 4. 3. JFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS 59 4. 4. JFET BIAS LINE AND LOAD LINE 62 4. 5. MOSFET CONSTRUCTION AND SYMBOLS 63 4. 6. MOSFET TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS 64 Table of Figures Fig. 4- 1