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MOSFET Basics
Electronics 315-01
Spring 2017
Lauren Kerstetter
Mark Yurkovich
Performed: 3/27/17
Due: 4/05/17
2
Objective:
The purpose of this lab was to become familiarized with the different operational
and to compare the electrical responses of MOSFET and BJT in amplifier circuits.
Introduction:
Of the two major types of three-terminal semiconductor devices, MOSFET has become
more widely used in electronic devices due to the many advantages it offers over the bipolar-
junction transistor (BJT). Compared to the BJT, a MOSFET can be made smaller, is simpler to
manufacture, requires less power to operate, and allows for circuits with very few resistors.
There are two types of MOSFET: n-channel (NMOS), and p-channel (PMOS). A
schematic diagram of an NMOS, like the one used in this lab, is depicted in Figure 1. The NMOS
consists of a p-type substrate, two heavily-doped n-type regions for the source and drain, a thin
layer of silicon dioxide, and four metal contacts (S, G, D, B) as shown. The region between the
source and drain is called the channel region. The channel region has a typical length between
0.03 um and 1 um, and a typical width between 0.1 um and 100 um. This width to length ratio is
known as the aspect ratio of the transistor, and is significant in the equation...
3
When zero voltage is applied to the gate, the interfaces between the p-type substrate and
the heavily-doped n-type regions act like two back-to-back pn-junctions. The result is zero
current from the drain to the source. With the body, source, and drain grounded, a small positive
voltage applied at the gate will repel all the holes in the substrate, while attracting the electrons in
the source and drain to fill the channel region. When enough electrons have accumulated in the
channel region, current can flow. The gate-source voltage at which this occurs is known as the
threshold voltage, and is typically between 0.3 V to 0.5 V. The amount by which the gate voltage
exceeds the threshold voltage is known as the effective voltage, or the overdrive voltage, and
expressed as
where,
The silicon dioxide layer serves as a dielectric between two capacitor plates, i.e. the
gate and p-type substrate, as positive and negative charges accumulate on either side. The
COX = /t (2)
where,
= dielectric permeability
When current is able to flow through the MOSFET, it may be prudent to apply a voltage
between the drain and source. While the applied voltage is small, one may assume that the n-
channel is of uniform width, and that the current through the drain is
ID=[(nCOX)(W/L)VOV]VDS (3)
where,
ID = drain current
VOV=overdrive voltage
Since all quantities in Equation 3 are constant except VOV, it suggests a linear relationship
between the drain current and the drain-source voltage. Therefore, when the applied drain-source
From Equation 4, it is evident that this resistance is controlled by VGS, which is why the
MOSFET can be used as a voltage-controlled resistor. Also from Equations 1 and 4, when
VGS=VTH, VOV=0, and hence, Ron=infinity. Therefore, the MOSFET can also be used as a switch.
The circuit shown in Figure 2 was constructed on a breadboard using a 10k resistor, a
100k resistor, a DC power supply, and a 2N7000 NMOS. With the gate and drain connected to
different output channels of the DC power supply, and the drain voltage set to a constant 5V, the
gate voltage was varied from 0 to 5V in 0.5V increments. This data was recorded in Microsoft
Excel, and was then used to generate plots of both the drain voltage and the drain current against
the gate voltage. The drain current was calculated from the voltage drop across the 10k resistor
The follower circuits shown in Figures 3 and 4 were constructed so that the output signals
of each could be compared. Each used a 100 resistor (R1), a10k resistor (R2), a 5.1k resistor
(R3), and a DC power supply. The source follower in Figure 3 used the 2N7000 NMOS, while
the emitter follower in Figure 4 used a 2N2222 BJT. A constant 5V was applied to both the drain
of the NMOS and the collector of the BJT, while a 5V triangular signal, with zero DC offset, at
1.1 kHz, was applied to points A as shown. The waveforms at points A, B, and C for each circuit
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were observed by using three different oscilloscope channels, and then used to compare the BJT
The voltage difference between points B and C indicates the ability for the output to
follow the input. The voltage difference between points A and B indicates how much current is
drawn from the input signal. These values were recorded for both circuits using a digital multi-
meter.
Part I
7
5
Drain
Volltage
(VD)
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Gate
Voltage
(VG)
0.0005
Drain
Current
(ID)
0.0004
0.0003
0.0002
0.0001
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Gate
Volltage
(VG)
Part II
8
MOSFET BJT
Conclusion:
get a better understanding about NMOS MOSFET in a circuit. The first question that the
Is there a difference in the input voltage and the voltage at the gate?
The question is referring to the first portion of the laboratory for the circuit
displayed in Figure 2. In fact, the answer is, yes; there is a difference between the input
voltage and the gate voltage that can be observed. The difference is small, and VGS
increases as Vin increases. The results for this are seen in the data of Plot 1 making the
When comparing the BJT data from previous laboratories and the NMOSFET
from this laboratory, there is a noticeable difference in the turn-on voltages between the
two transistors. The voltage at which the transistor starts to turn on is called the threshold
voltage. The next question that must be asked in this laboratory is:
After looking at the data collected, there is an obvious change in data where the
transistor definitely turns on. Looking at Plot 2 the data starts out with a consistently
horizontal line. At about 2 Volts the transistor reaches its threshold voltage.
Part II of the laboratory required to compare Figure 3 with a BJT and MOSFET
interchanged. The output voltages and waveforms were recorded and observed. Figure 4
and Figure 5 show the output waveforms at each terminal (A, B, C). The Green
waveform is where the 2 graphs differ completely; this is due to the MOSFET having a
smaller terminal C (Green values). The special thing about the MOSFET when Compared
to the BJT is that it is more efficient than the BJT. Starting at 5V and moving in small
increments toward 0V the MOSFET turned on at 4.340 V, whereas; the BJT turned on at
References:
Razavi, Behzad, Fundamentals of Microelectronics, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hoboken, NJ, 2014