ECE 311 – Electronics I

Introduction and Operation

Part 7 – Field Effect Transistor THE FIELD EFFECT

TRANSISTOR
ECE 311 - Field Effect Transistor 1 ECE 311 - Field Effect Transistor 2

The Field Effect Transistor (FET) The Field Effect Transistor (FET)
„ The concept of the FET „ After World War II, William
predates the BJT. Shockley at Bell Labs started
working on a device using
„ In 1925, Julius Lilienfeld Lilienfeld’s patents.
filed a patent on the „ The result of the effort gave
operation of the device. us the point-contact
transistor.
„ In 1934 Oskar Heil
„ In 1951, Shockley developed
patented another FET,
and invented the junction
but no record of the transistor (BJT).
device being invented „ The first practical FET was
was found. developed many years later
after the BJT while improving
Julius Lilienfeld (1881 – 1963) William Shockley (1910 – 1989)
on the design.
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 The Field Effect Transistor (FET) The Field Effect Transistor (FET)
„ The FET wasn’t physically implemented until „ Properties of FETs:
after BJTs due to problems associated with „ FETs are voltage controlled devices.
it’s manufacturing and fabrication. „ More temperature stable than BJTs.
„ FETs have a smaller device footprint than BJTs,
„ Later advancements in manufacturing
allowing for more devices to be fabricated per
techniques made the FET easier to fabricate unit area in ICs.
than BJTs. „ FETs can dissipate higher powers than BJTs of
the same size.
„ This led to integrated circuit (IC) designers
„ Usually exhibits poor high-frequency response
employing FETs in their circuitry over BJTs. and poor linearity.
„ Sensitive to static electricity and can easily be
damaged.
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Junction FET (JFET) Construction Junction FET (JFET) Construction

D D D D

G P P G N N G G

N-type P-type

S S S S

N-channel JFET P-channel JFET N-channel JFET P-channel JFET

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Junction FET (JFET) Construction JFET Biasing and Operation
G When VGS = 0V
D
“n-”channel + IDS
S D

„ FET Terminals:
G G
Source – source of carriers

+
„ P - P

„ Drain – exit terminal of carriers VDD

S D „ Gate – control terminal

N-type

Faucet analogy
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JFET Biasing and Operation JFET Biasing and Operation

When VGS = 0V When VGS = 0V
D IDS
narrower channel ++ IDS
VGS = 0
Carriers are IDSs
“pinched” at
the channel

G
+

P --- P
IDSs – Saturated drain to
VDD source current
VP – Pinch-off voltage

N-type

VDS
VP
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JFET Biasing and Operation JFET Biasing and Operation
When VGS < 0V When VGS < 0V
D Channel is D
Even narrower channel + IDS “pinched off” + IDS = 0

G - G - -

+
P - P P P

VDD VDD

VGG N-type VGG N-type

+

+
S S

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JFET Biasing and Operation JFET Biasing and Operation

When VGS < 0V
„ The term field-effect comes from the action of
IDS
the imposed electric field on the gate-source
VGS = 0
junction.
„ Since the gate-source junction is reversed
biased, the depletion region allows no current
VGS1 to flow.
IDS1
„ The growth of the depletion region affects the
VGS2 width of the channel, controlling the
IDS2 conductivity of the semiconductor, and thus
VGS3 VGS = VP controlling the current.
IDS3
VDS
IDS = 0 VP3 VP2 VP1
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JFET Biasing and Operation JFET Transfer Characteristics
„ The operation of the FET is more like the 2
triode tube, wherein a more negative gate ⎛ VGS ⎞
(grid) voltage decreases the drain (plate) I D = I DS S ⎜⎜1 − ⎟⎟
current. ⎝ VP ⎠
„ This is what Shockley’s team was originally Shockley’s Equation
meant to develop, a solid-state replacement
for the vacuum tube triode. where: ID = drain current
IDSs = saturated drain to source current
„ Transistors were originally referred to as
VGS = gate-source voltage
“solid-state triodes.” VP = pinch-off voltage

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JFET Transfer Characteristics JFET Transfer Characteristics

IDSs
IDS

VGS = 0
IDSs

VGS = VP

VP VP
VGS VDS

VP
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 FET Biasing and the Q-Point
„ The transfer characteristics of the FET is non-
linear (quadratic)
„ Locating the Q-point in the “most linear” part
of the curve is very important.

Transistor Biasing Techniques

THE FIELD EFFECT

TRANSISTOR
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Fixed Bias Fixed Bias

Graphical Solution:
„ The Q-point is established by a fixed amount IDS
of gate-source voltage. VGSQ = −VGG
IDSs
„ Example: = −0.7V
I DSQ = 0.675I DS S
VGSQ − 0.7V = 0.675(4mA)
VCC =
+12V VP − 4V Q-pt
0.675 I DSQ = 2.6mA
Solve: = 0.175VP
a) VGSQ
RD
2.2kΩ
b) IDQ
RG D
c) VD
1MΩ
IDSs = 4 mA d) VRD
VGG G VP = –4 V
IG = 0 S
0.7V
VP
VGS 0.175

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