Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Field Effect Transistors (FETs)

5.0 Introduction:
(Ref: p.6-2 to 6-13, Electronic Devices & Circuits by A.P. Godse & U.A. Bakshi, Technical Publications, 1 st edition - 2010)
(Ref: p.498-502, Electronic principles (Devices & circuits) by M.L. Anand, S.Chand & Company Ltd, 1 st Edition)

The ordinary-transistors, which are also called BJT (Bi-polar Junction Transistor), as they are two junction
devices. But a BJT is noisy in operation and has low input impedance. Due to these two factors BJTs are
replaced by new type of transistors called ‘Field Effect Transistors’ (FETs), which have been proved to be
very efficient devices especially in I.C. (Integrated circuit) form.

A FET is a three terminal, uni-polar semiconductor device in which current conduction takes place due to an
electric field applied at its input. FET may be put into two major categories.

(1) Junction field effect transistors (JFET or simply FET)

(2) Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).

Table 1 shows, basic classification of FETs.

Table 1: Basic classification of FET.

In general, like BJTs the FETs can be used in switch, digital and linear amplifier applications. In JFET, there
is a direct electrical connection between the gate terminal and the channel. On the other hand, in MOSFETs,
the gate is insulated from the channel by a very thin layer of dielectric material called silicon dioxide (SiO 2).
Thus in MOSFETs there is no direct electrical connection between the gate terminal and the channel. Due to
this extra layer, the input resistance of MOSFET is very high.

The MOSFETs can be used in place of resistors in a circuit, so that circuits containing only MOSFETs can be
designed. The MOSFET compared to BJTs, can be made very small (it occupies a very small area on an I.C.).
Digital circuits can be designed using only MOSFETs, witch essentially require no separate resistors or
diodes. Hence high-density VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) circuits including Microprocessors and
Memories can be fabricated using MOSFETs. Further the MOSFET has made possible the hand-held
calculator and the powerful personal computer in small sizes. MOSFETs can also be used in Analog circuits.

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Comparison list between BJT and FET is given in Table 2.

Table 2: Comparison between BJT & FET.

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5.1 Junction field effect transistor (JFET):

Construction of n-channel JFET:

The Fig. 5.1, shows structure and symbol on n-channel JFET. A small bar of extrinsic semiconductor
material, n-type is taken and its two ends, two ohmic contacts are made which are the Drain and Source
terminals. Heavily doped electrodes of p-type material form p-n junctions on each side of the bar. The thin
region between the two p gates is called the channel. Since the channel is in the n-type bar, the FET is known
as n-channel JFET.

Fig. 5.1: Structure and symbol for n-channel JFET.

The electrons enter the channel through the terminal called source and leave through the terminal called drain.
The terminals taken out from heavily doped electrodes of p-type material are called gates. Usually, these
electrodes are connected together and only one terminal is taken out, which is called gate, as shown in the Fig.
5.1.
For example, the source of water pressure can be compared with the voltage of applied electric field; that will
establish a flow of water (electrons) from the water tap (source) as shown in Fig. 5.2. The ‘gate’ controls the
flow of water to the drain. Now how much water flows from source to drain will depend upon how much tap
(gate) is opened or closed. Another analogy would be the number of persons entering into a hall will depend
‘how much’ the main entrance (gate) of the hall has been opened or closed.

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Fig. 5.2: Analogy for FET operation.

Construction of p-channel JFET:

The device could be made of p-type bar with two n-type gates as shown in the Fig. 5.3. The principle of
working of n-channel JFET and p-channel JFET is similar, the only difference being that in n-channel JFET
the current is carried by electrons while in p-channel JFET, it is carried by holes.

Fig. 5.3: Structure and symbol for p-channel JFET.

Unbiased JFET:

Fig. 5.4: n-channel JFET under no bias.

In the absence of any applied voltage, JFET has gate and channel junctions, the result is a depletion region at
each junction as shown in Fig. 5.4. This represents same depletion of a diode under no bias conditions. Recall
that depletion region is that which does not have any free carriers and therefore is unable to support
conduction through the region.

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Operation of JFET:

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5.2 Static characteristics of FETs:

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5.3 Biasing of FET circuits:

(Ref: p.7-22, Electronic Devices & Circuits by A.P. Godse & U.A. Bakshi, Technical Publications, 1st edition - 2010)

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5.4 Small signal model of FET:

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5.5 Common source JFET amplifier:

(Ref: p.7-10 to 7-16, Electronic Devices & Circuits by A.P. Godse & U.A. Bakshi, Technical Publications, 1 st edition - 2010)

A small change in the voltage at the gate (V GS) can produce a great change in the drain current (I D). This
property makes FET suitable to be used as an amplifier. Usually common source configuration is used for
amplification as it gives good voltage gain and high input impedance. For biasing R 1 and R2 (Potential
divider) are used. An inverted amplified signal can be taken across drain-ground.

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5.6 Depletion MOSFET or IGFET:

(Ref: p.6-22 to 6-32, Electronic Devices & Circuits by A.P. Godse & U.A. Bakshi, Technical Publications, 1 st edition - 2010)

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5.7 Enhancement MOSFET:

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5.8 Dual stage MOSFET:

(Ref: p.523-524, Electronic principles (Devices & circuits) by M.L. Anand, S.Chand & Company Ltd, 1st Edition)

We can have a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) by using a complementary (Dual stage)
set of MOSFETs. One is an n-channel MOS and the other is a p-channel MOS. This can work as an ‘inverter’.
When one device is ON, the other is OFF, thus it is analogous to a push-pull circuit.

Refer above Fig., when Vin is low, the lower MOS II (NMOS) is OFF but the upper MOS I (PMOS) is ON
and the output voltage is be high. On the other hand when V in is high, the lower MOS II is ON and upper MOS
I is OFF, the output will be low. Since the output voltage is always opposite in phase to the input voltage, the
device works as an inverter.

CMOS circuit has extremely low power consumption. As both devices are in series, the current is in nano
amperes and thus the total power consumption is also in nano watts. Due to this reason, CMOS is very
popular in pocket calculators, digital wrist watches and satellites.

5.9 P-channel and N-channel MOSFET:

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5.10 Common drain FET amplifier:

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FET applications:
(Ref: p.512-513, Electronic principles (Devices & circuits) by M.L. Anand, S.Chand & Company Ltd, 1st Edition)

In general, like BJTs the FETs can be used in switch, digital and linear amplifier applications. The following
are the specific applications of FET.

1. Due to high input and low output impedance, FET is used as a buffer at the front end of voltmeters, CRO
and other such devices.
2. Because of low noise, they are used in R.F. amplifiers in FM tuners and in communication equipment.
3. Since the input capacitance of FET is low, it is used in cascade amplifiers in measuring and test equipment.
4. Because of low frequency drift they are used in oscillators.
5. FETs are also used in Low frequency amplifiers and Digital circuits.

The table below shows few applications of FET and the place of their use.

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5.11 Common gate FET amplifier:

Common gate FET configuration provides low input impedance while offers high output impedance.
Although the voltage gain is high, the current gain is low and the overall power gain is also low when
compared to the other FET circuit configurations available. The other salient feature of this configuration is
that the input and output are in phase.

Common gate FET amplifier circuit

The circuit is not as widely sued as other FET configurations, but it is used where a low input is needed to
provide a good impedance match. Some examples of instances where the common gate amplifier may be used
are for low impedance microphone preamplifiers and for VHF / UHF RF amplifiers.

The table below gives a summary of the major characteristics of the common gate amplifier circuit.

Common Gate Transistor amplifier characteristics

Parameter Characteristics
Voltage gain High
Current gain Low
Power gain Low
Input / output phase relationship 0°
Input resistance Low
Output resistance High

In electronics, a common-gate amplifier is, typically used as a current buffer or voltage amplifier. In this

circuit the source terminal of the transistor serves as the input, the drain is the output and the gate is connected
to ground, or "common," hence its name.

Applications:

This configuration is used less often than the common source . It is useful in, for example, CMOS RF
receivers, especially when operating near the frequency limitations of the FETs; it is desirable because of the
ease of impedance matching and potentially has lower noise.

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5.12 Frequency response of common source FET amplifier:

Most amplifiers have relatively constant gain over a certain range of frequencies. This range of
frequencies is called the bandwidth of the amplifier. The bandwidth for a given amplifier depends on
the circuit component values, the type of active components and the dc operating point of the active
component. When an amplifier is operated within its bandwidth, the current gain ( i ) , voltage gain
A

( A v ) , and power gain ( A p ) values are referred to as mid-band gain values. A simplified frequency-
response curve that represents the relationship between amplifier gain and operating frequency is
shown in Figure 1.

Fig: Schematic diagram of a JFET amplifier

Power Gain Ap drops at lower Ap drops at higher

frequencies frequencies
Mid-band
Ap(mid)

0.5Ap(mid) Bandwidth

fc1 fc2
Frequency
Fig: A simplified frequency response curve

As the frequency-response curve shows, the power gain of an amplifier remains relatively
constant across a band of frequencies. When the operating frequency starts to go outside this
frequency range, the gain begins to drop. Two frequencies of interest,
f c1 and f c2 , are the

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A p( mid )
frequencies at which power gain decreases to approximately 50% of . The frequencies labeled
f c1 and f c2 are called the lower and upper cutoff frequencies of an amplifier, respectively. These
frequencies are considered to be the bandwidth limits for the amplifier and thus bandwidth BW is
given by

BW =f c 2 −f c 1 .

The geometric average of

f c1 and f c2 is called the geometric center frequency f of an amplifier,
o

given by

f 0= √ f c 1 f c2 .

When the operating frequency is equal to

f 0 , the power gain of the amplifier is at its maximum
value.

Frequency response curves and specification sheets often list gain values that are measured in
decibels (dB). The dB power gain of an amplifier is given by
P out
A p( dB) =10 log A p =10 log
Pin .

Positive and negative decibels of equal magnitude represent reciprocal gains and losses. A +3dB gain
caused power to double while a –3dB gain caused power to be cut in half.
2 2
v out v in
Pout = Pin =
Using the basic power relationships, R L and Rin , the power gain may be rewritten as

2
P out v /R L v R
A p( dB )=10 log =10 log out =20 log out +10 log in
P in 2
v in /Rin v in RL

The voltage component of the equation is referred to as dB voltage gain. When the amplifier input
and out resistances are equal

v out
A p( dB )=20 log = A v ( dB )
v in . (
Rin =R L )

Thus, when the voltage gain of an amplifier changes by –3dB, the power gain of the amplifier also
changes by –3dB.

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