Do you know what an N-channel MOSFET is?

I. Basic structure and composition

An N-channel MOSFET consists of the following major components:

Gate: the control terminal, by changing the gate voltage to control the conductive channel between the source and drain. · ·

Source: Current outflow, usually connected to the negative side of the circuit. · ·

Drain: current inflow, usually connected to the load of the circuit.

Substrate:Usually a P-type semiconductor material, used as a substrate for MOSFETs.

Insulator：Located between the gate and the channel, it is usually made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and acts as an insulator.

II. Principle of operation

The operating principle of N-channel MOSFET is based on the electric field effect, which proceeds as follows:

Cut-off status:When the gate voltage (Vgs) is lower than the threshold voltage (Vt), no N-type conducting channel is formed in the P-type substrate below the gate, and therefore the cut-off state between the source and drain is in place and current cannot flow.

Conductivity state:When the gate voltage (Vgs) is higher than the threshold voltage (Vt), holes in the P-type substrate below the gate are repelled, forming a depletion layer. With further increase in gate voltage, electrons are attracted to the surface of the P-type substrate, forming an N-type conducting channel. At this point, a path is formed between the source and drain and current can flow.

III. Types and characteristics

N-channel MOSFETs can be classified into various types according to their characteristics, such as Enhancement-Mode and Depletion-Mode. Among them, Enhancement-Mode MOSFETs are in the cut-off state when the gate voltage is zero, and need to apply a positive gate voltage in order to conduct; while Depletion-Mode MOSFETs are already in the conductive state when the gate voltage is zero.

N-channel MOSFETs have many excellent characteristics such as:

High input impedance: The gate and channel of the MOSFET are isolated by an insulating layer, resulting in extremely high input impedance.

Low noise:Since the operation of MOSFETs does not involve the injection and compounding of minority carriers, the noise is low.

Low power consumption: MOSFETs have low power consumption in both on and off states.

High-speed switching characteristics:MOSFETs have extremely fast switching speeds and are suitable for high frequency circuits and high speed digital circuits.

IV. Areas of application

N-channel MOSFETs are widely used in various electronic devices due to their excellent performance, such as:

Digital Circuits:As a basic element of logic gate circuits, it implements the processing and control of digital signals.

Analogue circuits:Used as a key component in analogue circuits such as amplifiers and filters.

Power Electronics:Used for control of power electronic devices such as switching power supplies and motor drives.

Other areas:Such as LED lighting, automotive electronics, wireless communications and other fields are also widely used.

In summary, N-channel MOSFET, as an important semiconductor device, plays an irreplaceable role in modern electronic technology.