• Introduction

• The FET transistors are voltage controlled devices, where as the BJT
transistors are current controlled devices. The FET transistors have
basically three terminals, such as Drain (D), Source (S) and Gate (G)
which are equivalent to the collector, emitter and base terminals in
the corresponding BJT transistor.
• In BJT transistors the output current is controlled by the input current
which is applied to the base, but in the FET transistors the output
current is controlled by the input voltage applied to the gate terminal.

• In the FET transistors the output current passes between the drain
and source terminals and this path is called channel and this channel
may be made of either P-type or N-type semiconductor materials. In
BJT transistor a small input current operates the large load, but in FET
a small input voltage operates the large load at the output.
• The BJT transistors are ‘bipolar’ devices because they operates with
both types of charge carriers, such as electrons and holes but the FET
transistors are ‘unipolar’ devices because they operate with the
charge carriers of either electrons (for N-channel) or holes (for P-
channel).
• The FET transistors can be made smaller in size compared to BJT
transistor and also they have less power dissipation. Due to this high
efficiency the FET transistors are used in many electronic circuit
applications by replacing the corresponding BJT transistors. These FET
transistors are very useful in the chip designing due to their low
power consumption behavior. Like BJT the FET transistors are also
available in both P-channel and N-channel.
• The FET transistors have high input impedance where as BJT has
relatively low. Due to this high impedance values the FET transistors
are very sensitive to small input voltages. The FET transistors are
mainly classified into two types; they are Junction Field Effect
Transistor (JFET) and Insulated Gate FET (IG-FET) or Metal Oxide
Semiconductor FET (MOSFET).
• Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET)
• The Junction Field Effect transistor (JFET) is one of the types of FET
transistors. JFET is a simplest form of FET transistors and it has three
terminals. The JFET transistors are used as electronically controlled
switches, Voltage controlled resistors and as amplifiers.
• BJT transistors are constructed with the PN-junctions but the JFET
transistors have a channel instead of the PN-junctions. This channel is
formed due to the either of P-type or N-type semiconductor
materials.
• The JFET transistors are classified into two types; they are N-channel JFET
and P-channel JFET. In the N-channel JFET the channel is doped with the
donor impurities due to this the current passing through the channel is
negative (i.e. due to electrons) but in the P-channel JFETs the channel is
doped with the acceptor impurities due to this the current flowing through
this channel is positive (i.e. due to holes).

• The N-channel JFET has more current conduction than P-channel JFET
because the mobility of electrons is greater than the mobility of holes. So the
N-channel JFETs are widely used than P-channel JFETs. The small voltage at
the gate (G) terminal controls the current flow in the channel (between drain
and source) of the JFET.
• N – Channel JFET −It consists of an n – type silicon bar forming the
conduction channel for the charge carriers. The pn – junction forming
diodes are connected internally and a common terminal called GATE
is taken out from the p - Region. The other two terminals viz. Source
and Drain are taken out from the bar.
• P – Channel JFET − It consists of a p – type silicon bar forming the
conduction channel for the charge carriers. The pn – junction forming
diodes are connected internally and a common terminal called GATE
is taken out from the n - Region. The other two terminals viz. Source
and Drain are taken out from the bar.
Working Principle of JFET
• When voltage VDS is applied between the drain and source terminals and gate
terminal voltage is zero, the two pn-junctions at the sides establishes depletion
layers. The electrons flow from source to drain through the channel between the
depletion layers. The width of these depletion layers determine the width of the
channel and hence the current conduction through the bar.
• Now, when a reverse voltage VGS is applied between the gate and the source
terminals, the width of depletion layers is increased and this decreases the width of the
conduction channel, thereby increasing the resistance of conduction channel.
Consequently, the current from source to drain is decreased. On the other hand, when
the reverse voltage VGS is decreased the width of depletion layer also decreases.
Hence, the width of conduction channel increases and the resulting source to drain
current.

• Therefore, the current from source to drain can be controlled by the application voltage
(electric field) on the gate terminal. For this reason it is known as Field Effect Transistor.

• Hence, the JFET operates on the principle that the width and resistance of conduction
channel can be varied by changing the reverse voltage VGS.
VGS=0, VDD positive
Id is constant , when the pn junctions are touching each
other.. If Vdd is increased, Id becomes constant
(saturation)
Pinch off voltage
• In junction field-effect transistors (JFETs), "pinch-off" refers to the
threshold voltage below which the transistor turns off. the pinch off
voltage is the value of Vds when drain current reaches constant
saturation value.
Ohmic
region
IDSS Vs VGS - transfer characterisitcs
• The important points from the output characteristics are −

• At the start, the drain current (ID) increases rapidly with increase in drain-source voltage
(VDS) but then becomes constant. The value of VDS above which the drain current
becomes constant is called as Pinch off Voltage (VP).

• After pinch off voltage, the channel width becomes so narrow that the depletion layers
touch each other. Therefore, after pinch off voltage the change in the drain current is small
with change in the VDS. Hence, the drain current remains constant.

• After pinch off voltage, the channel width becomes so narrow that the depletion layers
touch each other. Therefore, after pinch off voltage the change in the drain current is small
with change in the VDS. Hence, the drain current remains constant.
• What is a DIAC

• A DIAC is a diode that conducts electrical current only after its

breakover voltage (VBO) has been reached. DIAC stands for “Diode for
Alternating Current”. A DIAC is a device which has two electrodes, and
it is a member of the thyristor family. DIACs are used in the triggering
of thyristors. The figure below shows a symbol of a DIAC, which
resembles the connection of two diodes in series.
Quadrant I operation : VMT2, positive; VG1 positive

Quadrant II operation : VMT21 positive; VGl negative