NAME: Abdul-Hamid Opeoluwa Arowona

MATRIC NUMBER: 23120211035

GROUP NUMBER: 9
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: DR. NORBERT EDOMAH
DATE: Tuesday, June 11th, 2024.

Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

(MOSFET) Operation

Introduction
A Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) is a type of field-effect
transistor that is widely used in electronic circuits for amplification, switching, and signal
modulation. MOSFETs offer high input impedance, fast switching speeds, and are essential
components in digital and analogue circuits. They come in two main types: n-channel and p-
channel MOSFETs, each with enhancement-mode and depletion-mode variants.
MOSFETs function by employing a voltage provided to the gate to control the current flow
between the source and the drain. An electric field is produced in the channel between the
source and the drain when a positive voltage is applied to the gate in relation to the source,
allowing current to flow. The electric field gets stronger and the current flow rises as the
gate voltage moves more positively. Due to its high input impedance and voltage control,
the MOSFET is advantageous in situations when the input signal is weak or the load has a
high impedance.

Figure 1.0: Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET).

Aim
To observe the operation and characteristics of a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect
Transistor (MOSFET) as a switch.

Materials:
• D.C. Power Supplies
• MOSFET Transistor
• LED Light
• Circuit Board
• Digital multi-meter
• Breadboard
• Resistors of 1KΩ.
• 1KΩ Variable Resistor
• Jumper Wires.

Procedure
The circuit in Figure 2.0 was set up on a breadboard with a MOSFET Transistor, Identifying
the source (S), drain (D), and gate (G) terminals of the MOSFET. A constant power supply of
15V on one side and a variable power supply through the 1KΩ resistor. The potentiometer
was connected across the power supply, with one end to the positive rail and the other to
the ground rail. The voltages drop; VGS (voltage drop between the gate and the source) was
adjusted until VIN gave 0V. The Value of VOUT and ID were then recorded in Table 1.0. The
above procedures were repeated for VIN of 5.0V.

Figure 2.0: Circuit setup.

Results

Table 1. VOUT and ID

VIN (V) VOUT (V) ID (µA)

0.00 9.76 0.00

5.00 14.86 0.44

Discussion

The primary aim was to investigate the operation of a MOSFET transistor and its ability to
control the brightness of an LED using a potentiometer. The results show that adjusting the
gate voltage via the potentiometer effectively controls the current through the LED, thereby
adjusting its brightness.

The It can be observed that a MOSFET transistor would not conduct current in its OFF state
as the LED light was OFF at OV VIN, hence it can be concluded that a MOSFET is a normally
OFF device.

A MOSFET is a normally OFF device as there is no current flow from source to drain at 0V. It
is voltage operated at the gate. An N-P-N BJT transistor is a normally OFF device as it
requires a small amount of current for a larger current to flow through the circuit. It can be
therefore said that a BJT transistor is a current operated device. The MOSFET and BJT
transistor are similar as they both have a linear relationship between the input voltage and
the current flow from source to drain in the case of MOSFET and emitter to collector in the
case of BJT transistor
As there was more voltage drop at the input of the device, it was observed that more
current was flowing from the drain to the source as the minority carriers (electrons) began
to repel between the path of current flow from source to drain due to repulsion from the
negative voltage, thus creating more path the flow of current from source to drain.
Potential sources of error include inaccuracies in the potentiometer settings and multi-
meter readings. To improve accuracy, use a digital potentiometer and ensure the multi-
meter is properly calibrated. Additionally, ensure stable connections on the breadboard to
avoid intermittent contact.
Conclusion
The experiment successfully demonstrated the operation of a MOSFET transistor in
controlling the brightness of an LED using a potentiometer. The results confirmed the
expected behaviour of the MOSFET in varying the current flow through the LED by adjusting
the gate voltage. It can be concluded that a MOSFET transistor is a normally OFF device and
current would not flow at the initial stage but would increase as the input voltage is
increased. Understanding MOSFET operation is essential for designing and analysing
analogue electronic circuits.

References
Bird, J. (n.d.). Electrical and electronic principles and technology. Routledge.

Microelectronic Circuits, Adel S. Sedra and Kenneth C. Smith.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky.