BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MOSFET Fabrication
- Silicon is an electrical semiconductor.
- A transistor is fabricated by creating areas in the silicon substrate
that have an excess of either positive or negative electrical charge.
- The gate terminal is made of polysilicon which is preferable to metal
as it can be fabricated with extremely small dimensions.
- The gate is electrically isolated from the rest of transistor by a layer
of SiO2.
- Transistors operation is governed by electrical fields caused by
voltages applied to its terminal
NMOS off
V
= 0V
SiO 2
= 0V
V
++++++ ++++
++++++
++++++
+++++++++
++++++
++++++
++++++
++++++
++++++
+++++++++++
++++++
+++++++++++
+++++++++ Substrate (type p) +++++++++
Source (type n)
Drain (type n)
(a) WhenV GS = 0 V, the transistor is off
NMOS transistor when turned off: back-to-back diodes represent
very high resistance (1012 ohm) between drain & source
NMOS on
VDD
VG = 5 V
SiO2
VS = 0 V
VD = 0 V
++++++ ++++
+++ ++++++
++++++
++++++
+++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++
+++++++++ ++ +++++++ ++++++++++
Channel (type n)
(b) When VGS = 5 V, the transistor is on
NMOS transistor when turned on: If the gate-to-source voltage
VGS is greater than a certain minimum positive voltage, called
VT (typically 0,2 VDD), then the switch is closed.
Channel size
-The positive voltage on the gate attracts free electrons existing in
the type-n source and drain terminals & other areas of the transistor
towards the gate. Because of SiO2 layer, electrons gather in region
of the substrate between source & drain terminals, which results
into channel connecting source & drain.
+
W1
+
L
L
(a) Small transistor
(b) Larger transistor
- The size of channel is determined by length L & width W
W2
ID
Current-Voltage Curve
Triode
V GS V T
- Triode region:
- Saturation region:
Saturation
VDS
ID
Triode
Saturation
V GS V T
VDS
MOSFET On-Resistance
VDD
VDD
R
Vf
Vx
(a) NMOS NOT gate
I stat
- Ideal switches have infinite resistance
when turned off and zero resistance
when turned on
- The actual resistance is VDS/ID
V f = V OL
RDS
(b) Vx = 5 V
Example 3.4
Example 3.5
Voltage Transfer Characteristic
Vf
VDD
V OH = V DD
Slope = 1
T1
Vx
Vf
T2
(a) Circuit
V OL = 0 V
VT
- VIL: maximum input voltage
- VIH: minimum input voltage
V IL
V IH
V DD
( V DD V T ) V DD
Vx
N1
Noise Margin
N2
(a) A NOT gate driving another NOT gate
Consider 2 NOT gates connected in Fig. a. When N1 produces its
low voltage level VOL, the presence of noise may alter the voltage
level, but as long as it remains less than VIL, it will be interpreted
correctly by N2
The ability to tolerate noise without affecting the correct
operation of the circuit is known as NOISE MARGIN
For low output voltage, low noise margin: NML = VIL VOL
For high output voltage, high noise margin: NMH = VOH VIH
Example 3.6
N1
N2
x
(a) A NOT gate driving another NOT gate
VDD
VDD
Dynamic
Operation
VA
Vx
Vf
C
(b) The capacitive load at node A
- Because of the way transistors are constructed in silicon, capacitors
may be effectively created. This capacitance is called parasitic/stray
which results as an un-designed side effect of transistor fabrication.
- One significant capacitance exists between input of N2 and Ground:
Its value depends on the sizes of the transistors in N2. Each tran.
contributes a gate capacitance Cg= W x L x COX (oxide capacitance)
- Additional capacitance is caused by tra. N1 & by metal wiring that is
attached to node A
VDD
VDD
VA
Vx
Vf
C
(b) The capacitive load at node A
- Thus, it is possible to represent all parasitic capacitance by an
equivalent C
- C has a negative effect on the operation speed of the logic gate:
Voltage across a capacitor cannot change instantaneously
- Time needed for charging & discharging depends on size of C and
current through the C
- In detailed: when N1 PMOS ON ? Then when N1 NMOS ON ?
Propagation Delay
VDD
Vx
50%
50%
Gnd
Propagation delay
Propagation delay
VDD
90%
VA
90%
50%
Gnd
50%
10%
tr
10%
tf
(3.1)
(3.2)
+
W1
+
L
L
(a) Small transistor
(b) Larger transistor
W2
VDD
Power Dissipation
Vf
Vx
(c) NMOS NOT gate
VDD
Power Dissipation
Vx
Vf
Vf
Vx
(a) Current flow when input Vx
changes from 0 V to 5 V
(b) Current flow when input Vx
changes from 5 V to 0 V
Short Circuit Current
VDD
Vf
VOH = VDD
Slope= 1
T1
Vx
Vf
T2
VOL = 0 V
VT
(a) Circuit
VIL
VIH
VDD
(VDD VT) VDD
Vx
CMOS - Power Dissipation
V DD
Vf
Vx
Vx
Vx
Vx
High fan-in NMOS NAND gate.
VDD
Vf
Vx1
Vx2
Vxk
High fan-in NMOS NOR gate.
N1
x
Vf
To inputs of
x
n other inverters
To inputs of
n other inverters
Cn
(a) Inverter that drives n other inverters
(b) Equivalent circuit for timing purposes
V f for n =1
VDD
V f for n = 4
Gnd
0
Time
(c) Propagation times for different values of n
