Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Introduction to IC

Integrated Circuit

A collection of one or more gates fabricated on a single silicon chip is called an integrated circuit (IC).
 .
Generations of Integration Circuits
SSI (Small Scale Integration)
MSI (Medium Scale Integration)
LSI (Large Scale Integration)
VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)
VLSI
VLSI, or Very Large Scale Integration refers to a technology through which it is possible to implement large circuits in silicon - circuits with up to a million transistors. The VLSI technology has been successfully used to build microprocessors, signal processors, memories.
The miniaturization of hand held device is a great example of VLSI.

Challenges in designing an IC
Small Size
High Speed
Less Power Dissipation
Basic steps in IC fabrication

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Introduction to MOSFET

Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors ( MOSFET )

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) has three terminals, source, gate, and drain. In a p-MOSFET (or n-MOSFET), both the source S and drain D are n-type (or p-type) and the substrate between them is p-type (or n-type). The gate and the p-type substrate is insulated by a thin layer of $SiO_2$. Due to this insulation, there is no gate current to either the source or drain.

n In an n-channel MOSFET, the channel is made of n-type semiconductor, so the charges free to move along the channel are negatively charged (electrons).

n In a p-channel device the free charges which move from end-to-end are positively charged (holes).

Basic MOSFET (n-channel)

n The gate electrode is placed on top of a very thin insulating layer.

n There are a pair of small n-type regions just under the drain & source electrodes.

n If apply a +ve voltage to gate, will push away the ‘holes’ inside the p-type substrate and attracts the moveable electrons in the n-type regions under the source & drain electrodes.

n Increasing the +ve gate voltage pushes the p-type holes further away and enlarges the thickness of the created channel.

n As a result increases the amount of current which can go from source to drain — this is why this kind of transistor is called an enhancement mode device.

Cross-section and circuit symbol of an n-type MOSFET



Basic MOSFET (p-channel)

n PMOS behave in similar way, but they pass current when a -ve gate voltage creates an effective p-type channel layer under the insulator.

Types of MOSFET