Chapter 6:

Field-Effect Transistors
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 FETs vs. BJTs

Similarities:
• Amplifiers
• Switching devices
• Impedance matching circuits

Differences:
• FETs are voltage controlled devices. BJTs are current controlled
devices.
• FETs have a higher input impedance. BJTs have higher gains.
• FETs are less sensitive to temperature variations and are more
easily integrated on ICs.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 FET Types

•JFET: Junction FET

•MOSFET: Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor FET

D-MOSFET: Depletion MOSFET

E-MOSFET: Enhancement MOSFET

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Construction
There are two types of JFETs
•n-channel
•p-channel
The n-channel is more widely
used.

There are three terminals:

•Drain (D) and Source (S) are

connected to the n-channel
•Gate (G) is connected to the p-
type material

Water analogy for the

JFET control mechanism.
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics:
VGS = 0 V , VDS some positive value
When VGS = 0 and VDS is increased from 0 to a more positive voltage:

• The depletion region between p-

gate and n-channel increases.
• Increasing the depletion region,
decreases the size of the n-
channel which increases the
resistance of the n-channel.
• Even though the n-channel
resistance is increasing, the
current (ID) from source to drain
through the n-channel is
increasing. This is because VDS is
increasing.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics:
VGS = 0 V , VDS some positive value

ID versus VDS for VGS = 0 V.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics: Pinch Off
If VGS = 0 and VDS is further increased to
a more positive voltage, then the
depletion zone gets so large that it pinches
off the n-channel.

As VDS is increased beyond |VP|, the level

of ID remains the same (ID=IDSS).

IDSS is the maximum drain current

for a JFET and is defined by the
conditions VGS=0 and VDS > |VP|.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics , VGS<0
•As VGS becomes more negative,
the depletion region increases.
•The more negative VGS, the
resulting level for ID is reduced.
•Eventually, when VGS=VP (-ve)
[VP=VGS(off)], ID is 0 mA. (the device
is “turned off”.

•The level of VGS that results in

ID=0 mA is defined by VGS=VP,
with VP being a negative voltage for
n-channel devices and a positive
voltage for p-channel JFETs. Application of a negative
voltage to the gate of a JFET.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics

n-Channel JFET characteristics with IDSS = 8 mA and VP = -4V.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Operating Characteristics:
Voltage-Controlled Resistor
•The region to the left of
the pinch-off point is called
the ohmic region.

•The JFET can be used as a

variable resistor, where VGS
controls the drain-source
resistance (rd). As VGS
becomes more negative, the
resistance (rd) increases.
ro
rd  where ro is the resistance with
2
 VGS  VGS=0 and r d is the resistance at a
1  
 VP  particular level of VGS.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 p-Channel JFETS

The p-channel JFET behaves

the same as the n-channel JFET,
except the voltage polarities and
current directions are reversed.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 p-Channel JFET Characteristics

As VGS increases morepositively

• The depletion zone

increases
• ID decreases (ID < IDSS)
• Eventually ID = 0A

Also note that at high levels of VDS the JFET reaches a breakdown situation:
ID increases uncontrollably if VDS > VDSmax.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Symbols

JFET symbols: (a) n-channel; (b) p-channel.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
(a) Saturation: VGS = 0 V, ID = IDSS; (b) cutoff (ID = 0 A) VGS less than (more
negative than) the pinch-off level; (c) ID is between 0 A and IDSS for VGS ≤ 0 V and
greater than the pinch-off level.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Transfer Characteristics
In a BJT,  indicates the relationship between IB (input)
and IC (output).

In a JFET, the relationship of VGS (input) and ID (output)

is a little more complicated (Shockley’s equation):

2
 V 

ID  I DSS  1 GS 
 VP 

William Bradford Shockley

(1910–1989)
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 JFET Transfer Curve

This graph shows the value of ID for a given value ofVGS.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 Plotting the JFET Transfer Curve
Using IDSS and Vp (VGS(off)) values found in a specification sheet, the
transfer curve can be plotted according to these three steps:
Step 1
2
 VGS 
I D  I DSS  1 
 VP
Solving for VGS = 0V ID = IDSS
Conversely , for a given
Step 2 2 ID, VGS can be obtained:
 V 
I D  IDSS  1  GS 
 VP 
 ID 
VGS  VP 1
IDSS 
Solving for V GS = Vp (VGS(off)) ID = 0A

Step 3
2
 VGS 
Solving for VGS = 0V to Vp I D  I DSS  1  
 VP

 1 
2
i.e. For VGS = -1 V I D  8mA 1   4.5mA
 4 

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Example 6.1
Sketch the transfer curve defined by IDSS=12 mA and VP=-6V.

2
 VGS 
I D  I DSS  1  
 VP 

 ID 
VGS  VP 1
 IDSS 

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.