Power Mosfets

Power MOSFETs
• A power MOSFET is a voltage controlled majority carrier device. The movement

of majority carriers in a power MOSFET is controlled by the voltage applied on
the control electrode (called gate) which is insulated by a thin metal oxide layer
from the bulk semiconductor body. The electric field produced by the gate voltage
modulate the conductivity of the semiconductor material in the region between the
main current carrying terminals called the Drain (D) and the Source (S).
• MOSFETs are preferred in those applications with high-frequency operation (>
200 kHz), wide line or load variations, long duty cycles, low-voltage applications
(< 500 V) and lower output power (< 500 W).
• Typical MOSFET applications include switch-mode power supplies using hard
switching above 200 kHz or ZVS below 1000W. Battery charging is another
common use for MOSFETs.
1
MOSFET: Circuit Symbols
Power MOSFETs, just like their integrated

circuit counterpart, can be of two types
(i) depletion type and (ii) enhancement
type. Both of these can be either n-channel
type or p-channel type depending on the
nature of the bulk semiconductor.
Fig.1 shows the circuit symbol of different
types of Power MOSFETs
Fig.1 Circuit Symbols of different types of Power MOSFETs

2
Source
Gate conductor
Gate oxide
FIELD OXIDE
n+ n+ n+ n+
p(body) p(body)
n- (drain drift)
n+
Drain
Fig.2 Construction of a single cell of a Power MOSFET

3
Fig.3 Vertical cross-section of an n-channel Power MOSFET
4
Fig.4 Gate control of MOSFET conduction
(a) Depletion layer formation
(b) Free electron accumulation
(c) Formation of inversion layer
5
Operating Principle of a Power MOSFET
• The gate region of a MOSFET is composed of the gate metallization, the SiO 2 (gate
oxide) layer underneath the gate conductor and the p-body silicon beneath the gate oxide.
This region forms a high-quality capacitor and it is sometimes termed as MOS capacitor.
No lateral current flows from the drain to source without a conducting n-channel between
them, since the drain-to-source path comprises two series, oppositely-directed pn
junctions.
• When a small positive gate-source voltage is applied, a depletion region forms at the
interface between the SiO2 and the silicon. The positive charge induced on the gate
metallization repels the majority hole carriers from the interface region between the gate
oxide and the p type body. This exposes the negatively charged acceptors and a depletion
region is created. Further increase in VGS causes the depletion layer to grow in thickness.
At the same time the electric field at the oxide-silicon interface gets larger and begins to
attract free electrons. The holes are repelled into the semiconductor bulk ahead of the
depletion region. The extra holes are neutralized by electrons from the source. 6
• As VGS increases further the density of free electrons at the interface becomes equal to the
free hole density in the bulk of the body region beyond the depletion layer. The layer of
free electrons at the interface is called the inversion layer. The inversion layer has all the
properties of an n type semiconductor and is a conductive path or “channel” between the
drain and the source which permits flow of current between the drain and the source.
Since current conduction in this device takes place through an n-type “channel” created by
the electric field due to gate source voltage it is called “Enhancement type n-channel
MOSFET”.
• The value of VGS at which the inversion layer is considered to have formed is called the
“Gate-Source threshold voltage VGS(th)”. As VGS is increased beyond VGS(th) the inversion
layer gets somewhat thicker and more conductive, since the density of free electrons
increases further with increase in VGS. The inversion layer screens the depletion layer
adjacent to it from increasing VGS. The depletion layer thickness now remains constant.
7
Transfer Characteristic of N-Channel Power MOSFET
This characteristic shows the variation of drain

current iD as a function of gate-source voltage VGS.
It is seen that there is threshold voltage VGST below
which the device is off. The magnitude of VGST is of
the order of 2-3 V.
Fig.5 Transfer Characteristic of N-Channel Power MOSFET 8

1. Cut off region: With gate-source voltage
(VGS) below the threshold voltage (VGS (th))
the MOSFET operates in the cut-off mode.
No drain current flows in this mode and the
applied drain–source voltage (V D S ) is
supported by the body-collector p-n junction.
Therefore, the maximum applied voltage
should be below the avalanche break down
voltage of this junction (VDSS) to avoid
destruction of the device.
Fig.6 Output characteristics of N-Channel Power MOSFET

9
2. Ohmic region: When VGS is increased beyond VGS(th)
drain current starts flowing. For small values of V DS
(VDS < (VGS – VGS(th)), iD is almost proportional to VDS
(Linear region). Consequently this mode of operation is
called “ohmic mode” of operation. Due to high ID and
low V DS , MOSFETs are used here in the switching
mode. In power electronic applications a MOSFET is
operated either in the cut off or in the ohmic mode. The
slope of the V DS – i D characteristics in this mode is
called the ON state resistance of the MOSFET (rDS (ON)).
In ohmic region: VGS - VGS(th) > VDS > 0

10
3. Active Region: At still higher value of VDS (VDS > (VGS – VGS (th)) the iD – VDS characteristics deviates from the
linear relationship of the ohmic region and for a given VGS, iD tends to saturate with increase in VDS. The exact
mechanism behind this is rather complex. It will suffice to state that, at higher drain current the voltage drop
across the channel resistance tends to decrease the channel width at the drain drift layer end. In addition, at large
value of the electric field, produced by the large Drain – Source voltage, the drift velocity of free electrons in the
channel tends to saturate. As a result the drain current becomes independent of VDS and determined solely by the
gate – source voltage VGS. This is the active mode of operation of a MOSFET. The current is sometimes said to
have saturated, and consequently this region is sometimes called the saturation region. MOSFETs are used here
for voltage amplification. Simple, first order theory predicts that in the active region the drain current is given
approximately by
iD=K(VGS - VGS(th))2
Where K is a constant determined by the device geometry.
• Pinch-off occurs at VDS = VGS - VGS(th) [at the boundary between the ohmic region and the active region and
iD=K VDS2]
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Power MOSFETs

• A power MOSFET is a voltage controlled majority carrier device. The movement

Power MOSFETs, just like their integrated

Fig.1 Circuit Symbols of different types of Power MOSFETs

Fig.2 Construction of a single cell of a Power MOSFET

This characteristic shows the variation of drain

Fig.5 Transfer Characteristic of N-Channel Power MOSFET 8

Fig.6 Output characteristics of N-Channel Power MOSFET

In ohmic region: VGS - VGS(th) > VDS > 0

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