LAB X.

I-V CHARACTERISTICS OF MOSFETs

1. OBJECTIVE

In this lab, you will study the I-V characteristics and small-signal model of a
Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET).

2. OVERVIEW

During the course of this experiment we will determine a number of important

device parameters of an n-channel enhancement mode MOSFET by analyzing a
number of DC characteristics. The DC characteristics will be split up into three
ranges: the sub threshold region (VGS < VT), the linear region (VT < VGD,
VGS > VT), and the saturation region (VT > VGD, VGS > VT). You will learn the
relevance of the current pre-factor (  nCi Z / L ), the channel trans-conductance
(gm), the channel conductance (gDS), and the channel resistance rd.

Information essential to your understanding of this lab:

1. Theoretical background of the MOSFET (Streetman 6.4.1-6.4.4 &

6.5.1-6.5.2)

Materials necessary for this Experiment:

1. Standard testing station

2. One MOSFET (Part: 2N4351)
3. 1kΩ resistor

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 1

 3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

3.1 CHART OF SYMBOLS

Here is a chart of symbols used in this lab manual. This list is not all inclusive;
however, it does contain the most common symbols and their units.

Table 1. Chart of the symbols used in this lab.

Symbol Symbol Name Units

Qi total charge in the insulator C
Qd total charge in the depletion region C
Ci insulator capacitance Farads
iDS total drain to source current mA
DS DC drain to source current mA
ids AC drain to source current mA
IDSAT saturation drain current mA
Ei Intrinsic energy level eV
EF Fermi energy level eV
potential difference between intrinsic energy level and
F the Fermi-level V
MS metal-semiconductor work function difference V
VA V
voltage applied to the semiconductor material
VP Pinch-off voltage V
vDS total drain to source voltage V
VDS DC drain to source voltage V
vds AC drain to source voltage V
vGS Total gate to source voltage V
VGS DC gate to source voltage V
Vgs AC gate to source voltage V
gm Transconductance scale factor
gDS channel conductance siemens (S) or mhos ()-1
L length of channel Cm
Z width of channel Cm
WMax max distance the depletion width induced by the gate cm
can extend
cm2 / V-sec
n average electron mobility

3.2 CHART OF EQUATIONS

All of the equations from the background portion of the manual are shown in
the table below.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 2

 Table 2. Chart of the equations used in this lab.

Equation Name Formula

1 Square law approximation  n ZC i 2

of drain to source current I DS  [(VGS  VT )V DS  .5  VDS ]
L

2 Saturation voltage for a VDSAT  VGS  VT

MOSFET

3 Square law approximation  n ZCi

of saturated drain to source I DSAT  (VGS  VT ) 2
current 2L

4 Channel conductance I DS I  CZ
g DS   DS  ( n i )(VGS  VT  VDS )
VDS VDS L

5 Trans-conductance in the I DS I DS  n Ci Z
linear region gm   ( )V DS
VGS VDS  const .
VGS VDS  const .
L

6 Trans-conductance in the I DS sat.  n Ci Z

saturation region g m sat.  ( )VGS  VT 
VGS V  const .
L
DS

3.3 CURRET IN A MOSFET

When solving for the current in a MOSFET, the first step is to find the
conductivity between the source and the drain. To do this, you must integrate
each of the differential conductance elements in the channel from drain to
source. After integrating the differential conductance elements, the current in
the channel of a MOSFET reduced to,

 n ZC i 2
I DS  [(VGS  VT )V DS  0.5  V DS ] (1)
L

where  n is the average electron mobility at the Si-SiO2 interface in the

channel area, Z is the width of the channel, Ci is the capacitance of the oxide
layer under the gate, and L is the length of the channel. The above equation
holds true until pinch-off is reached.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 3

 When the channel is pinched off, the drain to source voltage is said to be
saturated. The saturation voltage can be found by the following:

VDSAT  VGS  VT . (2)

When the drain to source voltage saturates, the drain to source current is also
saturated and it is given by:

 n ZCi
I DSAT  (VGS  VT ) 2 (3)
2L

When the current saturates, it is no longer a linear function of the drain

voltage.

3.4 DEVICE PARAMETERS OF MOSFETS

There are several ways of representing the drain current response of the
MOSFET as a function of VDS and VGS. Each method of representation gives
unique perspective of the device performance. Of those, Figure 1 is the most
common representation.

Figure 1. IDS vs. VDS characteristic of an n-channel MOSFET.

Another commonly used representation is IDS1/2 vs. VGS as shown in Figure 2

which is obtained by biasing the device so that the gate and the drain are at
the same potential. Connecting the gate and the drain contacts together and

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 4

 connecting these leads to the drain power supply does this. In this connection,
saturation condition is satisfied for all applied voltages where VGS > VT. Taking
the square root of both sides of equation (3) yields a linear relationship
between IDS1/2 and VGS – VT. The dependence of  ZC
n i / 2L 
1/ 2
on the gate
voltage is also shown in Figure 2. The values are obtained from the derivative
of the IDS1/2 vs. VGS dependence. The max value of  n ZC i / 2 L  
1/ 2
is 0.04 A1/2/V
at VGS = 3 V.

Figure 2. The IDS1/2 as a function of VGS for the case of VGS = VDS.

In the linear I-V region, the MOSFET acts as a resistive load and its
conductance is linearly dependent upon the gate voltage. The channel
conductance, gDS, in the linear region is given by:

I DS I DS  n Ci Z 1
g DS   ( )(VGS  VT  VDS )  (4)
V DS VGS  cons tan t
V DS VGS  cons tan t
L rd

The channel conductance is an important parameter used in the design of

analog switching circuits. It makes possible MOSFET switching circuits without
the use of resistors. Note that at the saturation condition the channel
conductance is (theoretically) zero.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 5

 Experimentally, the channel conductance in the linear region is measured by
holding VDS to a value of 50 mV to ensure linear operation. The gate voltage is
varied from 0 V to 10 V as the drain current is measured. The value of gDS can
then be plotted by use of (4). Figure 3 shows the measured dependence of gDS
as a function of VGS. It indicates that the channel conductance increases nearly
linearly with VGS above threshold. It is also instructive to note that the slope of
this curve is given by  n ZCi / L in the equation (4).

The channel resistance, rd, can be found by the inverse of the channel
conductance gDS. However, while the channel conductance gDS of the MOSFET is
of interest in the linear region, the channel resistance rd is of interest typically
in the saturation region. Theoretically the channel resistance at the saturation
condition is expected to be infinite. However, realistic MOSFET have finite
values of the channel resistance. The channel resistance is an essential
component of the small signal model of a MOSFET (Figure 4). By knowing the
channel resistance of a MOSFET, you can match the load resistance and the
MOSFET channel resistance. As a result, you can maximize the gain of your
amplifier. Experimentally you may find the slope of the IDS vs VDS characteristic
in the saturation region and invert it to find the channel resistance rd.
As indicated in the equation (4), the channel resistance rd is given by the
inverse of the channel conductance. Figure 5 shows the measured channel
resistance rd as a function of VDS with VGS ranging from 2.5V to 5V in 0.5 V
increments.

Figure 3. The measured drain conductance as a function of VGS, for VDS = 0.050 V.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 6

 Figure 4. Small signal model of the MOSFET.

Figure 5. The channel resistance, rd, as a function of VDS for several values of VGS.

The trans-conductance, gm is typically utilized in the saturation region in

conjunction with the small signal model of a MOSFET to build an amplifier
circuit. The trans-conductance describes the effect the gate has on the
conductivity of the MOSFET at a certain operating point. The trans-conductance
of a MOSFET in the linear region is:

I DS I DS  n Ci Z
gm   ( )V DS . (5)
VGS VDS  const .
VGS VDS  const .
L

In the saturation region the equation (5) may be used if you substitute the
VD,SAT for VDS where VD,SAT =VGS-VT.

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 I DS sat.  n Ci Z
g m sat.  ( )VGS  VT  . (6)
VGS V L
DS  const .

The Figure 6 shows the measured gm as a function of VGS which was obtained
by measuring the amount of the drain current change versus the gate voltage
change with a fixed VDS. It can be seen that there is essentially no current flow
and gm is zero when VGS < VT (before threshold). For 0 < VGS – VT < VDS , the
MOSFET operates in the saturation region and the gm is increasing linearly with
increasing VGS – VT. At higher values of VGS (VGD > VT), the MOSFET operates in
the linear region and the gm levels off corresponding to operation in the linear
region.

Figure 6. The transconductance, gm, as a function of VGS for various fixed VDS values.

If you know the geometry of your MOSFET, you can find the value of the
prefactor,  n ZCi / 2L . L is the length of the channel; Z is the width of the channel.
Ci is the capacitance of the SiO2 insulating layer and is given by: Ci=εrεo/toxide,
where toxide is the thickness of the oxide layer.  n is the average electron
mobility in the channel area. The average electron mobility in the channel area
of the average silicon MOSFET is about 650 cm2/V-sec. These values can be
used to calculate the drain current at a given gate voltage.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 8

 4. PRE-LAB REPORT

Study sections 3.3 – 3.4 of the lab manual then do the following pre-lab. If you
have read and understood the background material, then this pre-lab should
take you no longer than 30 minutes - many will take less than a minute.
1. IDS1/2 dependence on VGS: Use the 2N4351 IDS1/2 – VGS data, Figure 2, to
obtain the following parameter values.
a. Estimate the value of VT.
b. Estimate the value of the prefactor, μnCi Z/(2L), from the
derivative curve at VGS = 3V.
2. Channel conductance (gDS) dependence on VGS: Use the 2N4351 gDS – VGS
data, Figure 3, to obtain the following parameter values.
a. Estimate the value of VT.
b. Estimate the value of 2x the prefactor, μnCi Z/(L), from the
derivative slope between VGS = 2V and VGS = 4V using (4).
3. Trans-conductance (gm) dependence on VGS: Use the 2N4351 gm – VGS data,
Figure 6, to obtain the following parameter values.
a. Estimate the value of VT.
b. Estimate the value of 2x the prefactor, μnCi Z/(L), from the
derivative slope between VGS = 2V and VGS = 4V using (6).
4. Drain resistance (rd) dependence on VGS: Use the 2N4351 rd – VDS data,
Figure 5, to obtain the following parameter values.
a. Use the slope of the drain characteristic, IDS vs. VDS data, Figure 1,
to estimate the value of rd at VDS = 5V for the VGS = 2.5V and 3.5V
curve.
b. Use the drain resistance curves, rd vs. VDS data, Figure 5, to
estimate the value of rd at VDS = 5V for the VGS = 2.5V and 3.5V.
c. Compare these values of the drain resistance, rd.

Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 9

 5. PROCEDURE

5.1 IDS-VDS CHARACTERISTICS

Identify the leads of the MOSFET 2N4351 using the Figure 7 and construct a
circuit shown in Figure 8. Be sure the substrate (or case or bulk) terminal
is connected to the source terminal and both are connected to the
grounded side of the circuit as shown in Figure 8. The lower Keithley is used to
supply VGS and the upper Keithley is used to supply VDS. Use the LabView
program, FET_ivcurve.vi, to obtain IDS-VDS characteristic curves. Perform both
(a) and (b) below. Use estimated VT found in the pre-lab. These characteristics
are used to determine the parameters of the transistor in your report, so
accurate measurements are needed.

a. VDS = 0V to 10V in 0.2V steps with VGS = VT – 0.5V to VT + 0.5V in 0.2V

steps.
b. VDS = 0V to 10V in 0.2V steps with VGS = VT to 5V in 0.5V steps.

Figure 7. Identification of the leads on the MOSFET 2N4351.**

**In some cases the device will have an antistatic wire wrapped around all four leads. This
wire should be removed prior to using the device as it will short all four leads together.

Figure 8. A circuit for obtaining the IDS-VDS, gm-VGS, gDS-VGS, and rd-VGS
characteristics (Kiethley arrows : ‘upper’, “lower”).
Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 10
 5.2 gDS DEPENDANCE ON VGS

Use the circuit shown in Figure 8 and the LabView program, FET_gds.vi, to
measure the gDS dependence on VGS in the linear region. Set VDS to 100 mV
and the gate voltage is to be varied from 0.0 V to 10.0 V. The value of gDS is
obtained by dividing the measured current IDS by the constant VDS = 100
mV.

5.3 rd DEPENDANCE ON VGS

Use the circuit shown in Figure 8 and the LabView program, FET_rds.vi, to
measure the rd dependence on VGS in the saturation region. Set VDS to vary
from 0.0 V to 10.0 V in 0.1 V steps with VGS = 2.5 V, 3.0 V, 3.5V, 4.0 V,
4.5V, and 5.0 V.

5.4 gm DEPENDANCE ON VGS

Use the same circuit of Figure 8 and the LabView program, FET_gm.vi to
measure the gm dependence on VGS. Set VGS to vary from 0.0 V to 10.0 V in
0.1 V steps with VDS = 1.0V, 3.0 V, and 5.0 V.

5.5 IDS1/2-VGS CHARACTERISTIC

Use the circuit of Figure 9, and the LabView program, FET_ivcurve.vi, to

obtain a set of IDS – VGS characteristics curves. Set VDS = 0.0 V to 10.0 V in
0.2V steps. Note that the only difference between this measurement and the
first measurement is the addition of a wire. This additional wire causes VDS
= VGS so that IDS – VGS data may be extracted for this device. Manipulate
this data to obtain curves similar to Figure 2 using the i array method of
numeric differentiation with the following equation: I DS
1/ 2 1/ 2
(i  1)  I DS (i  1) .
VGS (i  1)  VGS (i  1) 
For the report, you will obtain the values of VT and μnCiZ/2L from this data.

Figure 9. A circuit for obtaining the IDS1/2-VGS characteristics.

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6. LAB REPORT
Type a lab report with a cover sheet containing your title, name, your lab partner’s
name, class, section number, date the lab was performed and the date the report is
due. Use the following outline to draft your lab report:

ABSTRACT: Briefly describe the contents of your report and the significant methods
used and analyses presented.

ANALYSIS:
1. IDS-VDS characteristics
1. Plot the IDS vs. VDS characteristic. Show the pinch-off locus in the plot. Make
sure both axes are labeled and the graph is appropriately titled.
2. gDS dependence on VGS
1. Show the plot of the gDS vs. VGS curves. Make sure both axes are labeled and
the graph is appropriately titled.
2. Mark your plot to show VT.
 
3. Report the values you obtained for VT and  n ZCi / 2 L from this data.
3. rd dependence on VGS
1. Plot the rd vs. VGS characteristic. Make sure both axes are labeled and the graph
is appropriately titled.
2. Calculate the value of rd using the derivative method with

rd (i ) 
VDS (i  1)  VDS (i  1) 
from the IDS vs. VDS characteristic. Compare the
I DS (i  1)  I DS (i  1) 
calculated values and the measured values of rd.
4. gm dependence on VGS
1. Show the plot of the gm vs. VGS curves. Make sure both axes are labeled and the
graph is appropriately titled.
2. Mark your plot to show VT.
 
3. Report the values you obtained for VT and  n ZCi / 2 L from this data.
4. Using the IDS vs. VDS characteristics, calculate the value of gm using the following
equation:
I DS (i  1)  I DS (i  1)
g m (i)  . Compare the calculated values and the
VGS (i  1)  VGS (i  1)
measured values of gm.
5. IDS1/2-VGScharacteristic
1. Show the plot of the IDS1/2 vs. VGS curves. Make sure both axes are labeled and
the graph is appropriately titled.
2. Mark your plot to show VT.
 
3. Report the values you obtained for VT and  n ZCi / 2 L from this data.

- CONCLUSION: Describe how your analyses correspond with the expectation of MOSFET
theory, answer and incorporate the following into your work:
 
1. Compare the different values you found for VT and  n ZCi / 2 L from the various
characteristics.
Lab X: I-V Characteristics of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transisitors (MOSFETs) – Page 12
  
2. Which characteristic is the best one to use to find VT and  n ZCi / 2 L ? Explain
your answer.

- Attach: Signed instructor verification form.

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