Chapter 5

NMOS Transistor

• N-channel enhancement-mode MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor)

Nmos regions

Region	Conditions	$i_D$
Cutoff	$v_{GS}<V_{to}$	0
Triode	$v_{DS}\le v_{GS}-V_{to}$ and $v_{GS}\ge V_{to}$	$i_D=K[2(v_{GS}-V_{to})v_{DS}-v_{DS}^2]$
Saturation	$v_{DS}\ge v_{GS}-V_{to}$

• The threshold voltage, $V_{to}$, is the minimum $V_{GS}$ needed to move the transistor from the Cutoff to Triode region. When is reached, a channel forms beneath the gate, allowing current to flow.

• $V_{to}$ is usually on the order of a couple of volts

• For small values of $V_{DS}$, $i_D$ is proportional to $V_{DS}$. The device behaves as a resistor whose value depends on $v_{GS}$
• "Now consider what happens if we continue to increase $V_{DS}$. Because of the current flow, the voltages between points along the channel and the source become greater as we move toward the drain. Thus, the voltage between gate and channel becomes smaller as we move toward the rain, resulting in a tapering of the channel thickness as illustrated in Figure 5.5. Because of the tapering of the channel, its resistance becomes larger with increasing $v_{DS}$, resuling in a lower rate of increase of $i_D$." <ref>Electronics p. 291</ref>

References

<references/>