Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

MOS Transconductance: Saturation

In course

EE-320: Analog IC design

Introduction to the design of analog CMOS integrated circuits at the transistor level. Understanding and design of basic structures. ...

Description

This lecture covers the operation of MOS transistors in saturation, focusing on the transconductance and different regions of operation. It explains the behavior of electrons in the pinch-off point, the square-law behavior, and the I/V characteristics. The instructor discusses the transconductance as a function of drain-source voltage and the implications for signal amplification.

Instructor

Mahsa Shoaran

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Condensed matter physics: Solid-state physics

Related concepts (19)

MOSFET

The metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) is a type of field-effect transistor (FET), most commonly fabricated by the controlled oxidation of silicon. It has an insulated gate, the voltage of which determines the conductivity of the device. This ability to change conductivity with the amount of applied voltage can be used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. A metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MISFET) is a term almost synonymous with MOSFET.

Transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electrical signals and power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals for connection to an electronic circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals controls the current through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be higher than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal.

History of the transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device with at least three terminals for connection to an electric circuit. In the common case, the third terminal controls the flow of current between the other two terminals. This can be used for amplification, as in the case of a radio receiver, or for rapid switching, as in the case of digital circuits. The transistor replaced the vacuum-tube triode, also called a (thermionic) valve, which was much larger in size and used significantly more power to operate.

JFET

The junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET) is one of the simplest types of field-effect transistor. JFETs are three-terminal semiconductor devices that can be used as electronically controlled switches or resistors, or to build amplifiers. Unlike bipolar junction transistors, JFETs are exclusively voltage-controlled in that they do not need a biasing current. Electric charge flows through a semiconducting channel between source and drain terminals.

Transistor count

The transistor count is the number of transistors in an electronic device (typically on a single substrate or "chip"). It is the most common measure of integrated circuit complexity (although the majority of transistors in modern microprocessors are contained in the cache memories, which consist mostly of the same memory cell circuits replicated many times). The rate at which MOS transistor counts have increased generally follows Moore's law, which observed that the transistor count doubles approximately every two years.

Related lectures (33)

MOS Transistor Operation: Triode vs Saturation

Explains MOS transistor operation in triode and saturation regions, focusing on transconductance and layout.

MOS in Saturation

Explores MOS transistors in saturation, covering I/V characteristics, pinch-off behavior, and transconductance.

Basic Electronics: PN Junction and BJT

Introduces the PN junction, BJT operation modes, and MOS transistor basics.

Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits: Fundamentals

Covers the fundamentals of analog CMOS integrated circuits, emphasizing transistor-level design principles and the historical impact of CMOS technology.

MOS Parasitics