ENGLISH 202C

The MOSFET
The operating process of a metal-oxide-
semiconductor field-effect transistor

Michael Deemer
3/27/2014




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Introduction

Audience and Scope
The purpose of this article is to inform students with interests in electronics, or anyone with
a general understanding of physics and chemistry, about how a metal-oxide-semiconductor
field-effect transistor, or MOSFET, works. MOSFETs are crucial electronic components that are
used by almost everyone on a daily basis. They are the backbone of current computing
technology. This type of document would be found in an introductory level electronic materials
and devices textbook.
What is a MOSFET?
A MOSFET is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. The name arises from both
the layered structure of materials (layers of metal, oxide, and semiconductor), as well as the
means of operation of the MOSFET (the application of an electrical field, or voltage). The
structure of a MOSFET it looked at more in detail later in this document.
A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is a three terminal electronic
device that acts as an amplifier and/or a switch for electronic signals. MOSFETs are the key
components of modern day microprocessors. The microprocessors made with MOSFETs, for
example the one in most smart phones, contain more than a billion transistors. By making these
transistors as small as possible, approximately 100,000x thinner than a strand of hair, the
manufacturer is able to add a large number of these devices within a small area. Faster
microprocessors generally contain more transistors.
Semiconductors
To understand how a MOSFET works, you must first know the basic physics involved in the
process. When it comes to the ability of a material to conduct electricity, there are only three
types of materials: conductors, insulators, and semiconductors. Conductors (mostly metals) are
very conductive and insulators (oxides) have a very low conductivity. Semiconductors on the
other hand, have many unique material properties, one of which is the ability to contain two
distinct charge carriers. These charge carriers have either a positive charge, known as hole, or a
negative charge, known an electron. The movement of charge carriers is known as electrical
current.
Semiconductors can be doped into either an n-type semiconductor, containing an excess
number of electrons, or a p-type semiconductor, containing an excess number of holes.
Semiconductors can be either heavily doped (approximately a million times as much
electrons/holes as there are holes/electrons), or lightly doped (approximately ten times as
much electrons/holes as there are holes/electrons). The manufacturer can very precisely
monitor the concentration of electrons and holes in a semiconductor, allowing for accurate
predictions of electrical conductivity within the material.



The structure of a MOSFET
The structure of a MOSFET is relatively simple. There are three terminals in which the
device can be connected to other devices via electrical connection.

Figure 1:
This figure represents a schematic of the general components of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-
effect transistor (MOSFET).

Citation: http://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/semiconductors/mosfet.php

The Key Components of a MOSFET:
Substrate: The substrate is a lightly dopes p-type semiconductor material, that is, there
are more holes than electrons (approximately ten times as much) within the material.
Oxide Layer: The oxide layer is a thin layer of an insulating material known as an oxide.
The oxide prevents charge from flowing between the substrate and the metal plate at
the gate terminal.
Source/Drain Terminals: The source and the drain terminals are located on either side of
the substrate. They are made from a heavily doped n-type semiconductor material, that
is, there is much more electrons than holes (approximately a million times as much)
within the material.
Metal Plate: The metal plate is located directly above the oxide, and is represented in
the figure as a long black rectangle. There are also metal plates above the source and
the drain terminals. The purpose of these metal plates is to form a point at the terminals
in which the device can connect to other devices.
Channel: The channel is the most important region within the MOSFET. The channel is
located between the source and the drain terminals, and directly below the oxide layer.
Body: The body of the MOSFET is a connection between the substrate and ground (no
voltage).

Channel
How does a MOSFET work?
The operation process of a MOSFET can be broken down into a few general steps:
Apply a small negative voltage to the gate terminal. The negative charge at the gate
terminal will attract positive charge carriers (holes), within the p-type substrate, toward
the channel region between the source terminal and the drain terminal.
Change the gate voltage from a low negative charge to a low positive charge. By then
applying this positive voltage to the gate terminal, negative charge carrier (electrons)
will be drawn toward the channel. When the holes and the electrons combine, they
form a region within the channel known as the depletion region.
Increase the positive gate voltage. When the voltage applied at the gate is increased,
more electrons are attracted toward the channel. This is when the inversion layer forms.
The inversion layer is a layer of excess electrons within the channel, located between
the oxide and the depletion region. The depletion region acts like a barrier separating
the inversion layer from the rest of the p-type substrate.
Keep the gate voltage constant. When the inversion layer is formed (the MOSFET is
technically turned on), electrical current can flow between the n-type source and the
n-type drain. The inversion layer essentially acts like a wire of electrons connecting the
pools of excess electrons within the source and the drain terminals.
A Better Understanding
The operation of a MOSFET can better be further understood by means of the following
analogy. Visualize that the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOSFET are two pools
of water (electrons) that are relatively close to each other. Without doing anything there is no
way for the water to flow between the two pools (current flow between the source and the
drain). Applying a voltage to the gate terminal, starting at a low negative voltage and increasing
it to a higher positive voltage, is analogous to digging a narrow canal in the dirt between the
two pools. The canal will allow the water to flow between the pools (current to flow between
the source and the drain terminals). This is only possible if you insulate the canal in such a way
that the water will not get absorbed by the dirt (electrons in the inversion layer combining with
excess holes in the substrate). This is where the depletion region becomes important. The
depletion region is analogous to a tarp or barrier in the canal, separating the water in the canal
(the inversion layer of electrons) and the dirt (p-type substrate material). When the user wants
to end the transfer of water between the two pools, or turn the MOSFET off, all that needs to
be done is to get rid of the tarp and add dirt back in the canal. This can be done simply by
eliminating the voltage that is being applied at the gate terminal.

Conclusion
In conclusion, by applying a relatively small voltage to the gate, a large electrical current can
be passed between the source and the drain very almost instantly. When the gate voltage is
turned off, the current between the source and the drain also turns off almost simultaneously.
This gives rise to the ability of a MOSFET to act as both an amplifier of electrical signals, as well
as a very fast operating switch.