Unit III FET and its Applications

2 Marks Questions and Answers

1. Why do you call FET as field effect transistor?
The name “field effect” is derived from the fact that the current is controlled by an electric
field set up in the device by an external voltage, applied across gate and source terminals, which
reverse bias the junctions.

2. What is a FET?
A field effect (FET) is a three terminal semiconductor device in which current conduction takes
place by only one type of carriers (either holes or electron) and is controlled by an electric field.

3. Why FET is called an unipolar device?

The operation of FET depends upon the flow of majority carriers only (either holes or electrons)
so the FET is said to be an unipolar device.

4. Define pinch off voltage?

It is the voltage at which the channel is pinched off, i.e. all the free charge from the channel get
removed. At Pinch-off voltage VP the drain current becomes constant.

5. Define drain resistance?

Drain resistance (rd) is defined as the ratio of small change in drain to source voltage
(∆Vds) to the corresponding change in drain current (∆Id) at constant gate to source voltage
(Vgs).
rd = ∆Vds / ∆Id at constant gate to source voltage (Vgs)

6. Write down the relationship between various FET parameters?

Amplification factor = drain resistance * Transconductance
µ = rd * gm

7. Mention the applications of FET.

• FET is used as a buffer in measuring instruments, receivers since it has high i/p
impedance and low o/p impedance.
• FETS are used in RF amplifiers in FM tuners and communication equipment for the low
noise level.
• Since the device is voltage controlled, it is used as a voltage variable resistor in op-amps
and tone controls.
• Used as phase shift oscillator because frequency drifts is low.

8. Why the input impedance of FET is more than that of a BJT?

The input impedance of FET is more than that of a BJT because the input
circuit of FET is reverse biased whereas the input circuit of BJT is forward biased.
9. What is meant by gate source threshold voltage of a FET?
The voltage at which the channel is completely cur off and the drain current
becomes zero is called as gate source threshold voltage. Also called as VGS(off).

10. Why N channel FET’s are preferred over P channel FET’s?

In N channel FET the charge carriers are the electrons which have a mobility of
about 1300 cm2/ VS, whereas in P channel FET’s the charge carriers are the holes which have a
mobility of about 500 cm2 /VS. the current in a semiconductor is directly proportional to
mobility. Therefore the current in N channel FET is more than that of P channel FET.

11. How FET devices are classified?

The Field Effect Transistor (FET) can be broadly classified into following categories:

12. What are the operating regions of a JFET?

1. Ohmic region
2. Pinch-off region
3. Breakdown region

13. Give the drain current equation of JFET.

the relationship is quadratic: where VP is the pinch-off voltage and IDSS is the saturation drain
current for VGS = 0 (i.e. gate shorted to source).

14. Define the amplification factor in the JFET

Amplification factor (µ) is the negative of rate of change of drain voltage vDS with gate voltage
VGS with keeping ID constant.
Thus, µ ≡ ∆ vDS / ∆ vGS
15. What
at are the special
spe feature
ures of FET?
1. Its operationn depends
d upo
pon the flow ofo majorityy carriers
ca only.
ly. It is therefo
efore a unipola
olar
(o type off carrier)
(one c devic
vice.
2. It is simplerr to fabricatee and
an occupies
ies less spacee in integrated
ed form.
3. It exhibits a high
hi input resresistance, typically
typ many
ny Mega ohms ms.
4. It is less noisy
isy than a bipo
ipolar transisto
stor.
5. It exhibits zero
zer offset voltoltage at zero
ro drain
d current
ent, and hence
ce makes ann ex excellent sign
ignal
ch
chopper.

16. List
ist the advanta
ntages of FET ET.
• Input
In impedan
dance is veryy hhigh. This allows
all high degree
de of isola
solation betweeeen the input
ut &
ou
output circuit.
uit.
• Current
Cu carrie
riers are nott cr
crossing thee junctions
ju hen
ence noise is highly reducuced.
• It has a negat
gative temperat
erature Co-effic
fficient of resis
sistance. This
is avoids thee thermal
th
ru
runaway.
• It has a smalle
aller size, longe
nger life highh eefficiency.

17. Wha
hat are the main
m drawba
backs of FET
ET?

The
he m
main disadv
dvantage of th
the FET is its relatively sm
small gain band
ban width product
pro in
comparis
arison with that
tha which can
an be obtained
ed with a conv
nventional tran
transistor.

18. Dra
raw the symb
mbol of JFET.
T.

n-chann
annel FET P-C
Channel FET
ET

19. Defin
efine drain resistance
res and Transcond
onductance.
 20. Wri
rite Shockley
ley’s equation
ion.

21. Wha
hat are thee precautions
p ns tto be taken
en when hand
ndling MOSF
SFET?

Because
se tthe glass like silicon oxide
oxi layer belo
elow the gate
te iis do thin,, it can be pierc
ierced by tooo much
m
voltagee or even static
tic electricity. To avoid da
damage to the
he device, MO OSFETs are re usually
u shipp
ipped
with thee leads
l shorted
ted together.

22. Wha
hat are the differences
di s be
between BJT
JT and JFET?
T?

Parameter
eter BJT FET
Terminals
als Emitter,
ter, Base andd C
Collector Source
rce, Gate and
nd Drain
D
Type off ddevice Current
ent controlledd B
Bi-polar dev
evice Voltag
ltage controlled
lled Uni-polar
lar device
Input Res
esistance Low com
compared too FFET High
To Contro
ntrol the signal
nal BJT use
uses junctions
ns A JFE
FET uses a cha
channel
Voltagee ggain High lower
er voltage gain
ain
Outputt cu
current

24. Wha hat are the parameters

pa s of JFET?
1. ac drain
rain resistance(
ce(rd)
2. transco
sconductancee (g( m)
3. Amplif
plification facto
ctor (µ)
25. Draw the symbol for i) P-channel JFET, ii) N-channel JFET
iii) P-channel depletion MOSFET iv) N-channel depletion MOSFET
(v) P-channel enhancement MOSFET vi) N-channel enhancement MOSFET

26. What is Darlington connection? What are the benefits?

If two transistors are connected as shown above then it is Darlington connection.

Benefits
(i) High Input Impedance
(ii) High current gain
(iii) Less space to integrate in ICs

27. Draw small signal model of Common source amplifier.

28. Why the input impedance in FET is very high in comparison with BJT?

JFET have very high input impedance because of the reverse biased Gate-Source pn-junction.
 29. Why is FET preferred as a Buffer Amplifier?
FET is used as a buffer in measuring instruments, receivers since it has high input
impedance and low output impedance.
30. In a n-channel JFET, IDSS = 20 m A and VP = -6 V. Calculate the drain current
when VGS = -3 V.

=20x10-3 x (1-(3/6))2
= 5mA
31. Determine the transconductance of a JFET if its amplification factor is 96 and
drain resistance is 32 KΩ.
µ = gm* rd
µ = 96 and rd = 32X10^3
gm = 96/32X10^3
= 2.66mS

32. What is meant by cascade connection?

In a multistage amplifier circuit, the output of one stage is connected to the input of the next
stage. Mostly similar type of stages are cascaded.

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33. What is meant by cascode connection?

The cascode is a two-stage amplifier composed of a common source amplifier followed
by common gate amplifier. The cascode improves input-output isolation (or reverse
transmission) as there is no direct coupling from the output to input. This eliminates the Miller
effect and thus contributes to a much higher bandwidth. Compared to a single amplifier stage, it
also provides higher input impedance, high output impedance, higher gain or higher bandwidth.

34. Mention the operating modes of MOSFET.

1. Enhancement mode.
2. Depletion mode.

35. Comparison of n-channel FET and p-channel FET

n-channel FET p-channel FET

In an N-channel JFET the current carriers are the current carriers are holes in a P-channel
electrons JFET.
Mobility of electrons is large in N-channel JFET mobility of holes is poor in P-channel JFET
input noise is less in N-channel JFET high
transconductance is larger less
36. Draw the transfer characteristics for JFET and N-Channel D-MOSFET.
The transfer characteristics is the plot of the drain current (ID) Vs Gate source voltage VGS.

38. Draw the high frequency model of JFET

39. Comparison of the three FET configurations (CS,CD and CG)

Parameter CG CD CS

Voltage gain High Low Medium

Current gain Low High Medium

Power gain Low Medium High
Input / output phase relationship 0° 0° 180°
Input resistance Low High Medium
Output resistance High Low Medium
Application Current Voltage Inverts
Buffer Buffer Input
40. What are the differences between JFET and MOSFET?

Parameter JFET MOSFET

Basic The transverse electric field applied The transverse electric field applied
difference in across the reverse biased pn-junction across the insulating layer deposited
operation controls the conductivity of the channel on the semiconductor material
controls the conductivity of the
channel
Input 108 ohm 1010 to 1015 ohm
Resistance
Gate leakage 10-9A 10-12 A
current
Drain 0.1 to 1Mohm 1 to 50Kohm
resistance
Out put Much flatter because of high drain Not much flatter
characteristic resistance
Handling Not much care is needed Careful handling is a must
precautions
Fabrication Not easy to fabricate Easy to fabricate
Operation Operated only in depletion mode DMOSFET can be operated in
enhancement mode and depletion
mode
Advantages High input impedance and low output Zero offset voltage
and uses impedance, low noise levels Symmetrical (drain and source can
be interchange)
Very useful in analog signal
switching and digital VLSI

41. Comparison of E – only MOSFET and DMOSFET

Parameter E – only MOSFET DMOSFET

Modes of E- only (Enhancement mode only) Two modes of operation

operation Depletion as well as enhancement
mode.
Constructional There is no channel in between A channel is diffused between the
difference Source and drain source and drain based on the type of
FET for (n-channel MOSFET a n-type
channel is diffused between source and
drain.
Symbol Non continuous channel is indicated The channel line is continuous.
by Break in channel line

42. Comparison of n-channel MOSFET and p-channel MOSFET

Parameter n-channel MOSFET p-channel MOSFET

popularity p-channel enhancement MOSFET is very Not very popular
popular because easier and cheaper to produce
Mobility of Electron mobility is faster The hole mobility is nearly 2.5
carriers times lower than the electron
mobility
Drain Less area to integrate and high packing p-channel MOSFET occupies a
resistance densities larger area than an n-channel
and Packing MOSFET having the same ID
density rating and less packing density
Turn on Due to the +ve charged contaminants, the Not affected by premature turn
n-channel MOSFET may turn ON on.
prematurely.