Complete Electronics Self-Teaching Guide with Projects

The Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET)

28 Up to now, the only transistor described has been the BJT. Another common transistor type is the JFET. Like the BJT, the JFET is used in many switching and amplification applications. The JFET is preferred when a high input impedance circuit is needed. The BJT has a relatively low input impedance as compared to the JFET. Like the BJT, the JFET is a three-terminal device. The terminals are called the source, drain, and gate. They are similar in function to the emitter, collector, and base, respectively.

Questions

A. How many terminals does a JFET have, and what are these terminals called? _____

B. Which terminal has a function similar to the base of a BJT? _____

Answers

A. Three, called the source, drain, and gate.

B. The gate has a control function similar to that of the base of a BJT.

29 The basic design of a JFET consists of one type of semiconductor material with a channel made of the opposite type of semiconductor material running through it. If the channel is N material, it is called an N-channel JFET; if it is P material, it is called a P-channel.

Figure 3.28 shows the basic layout of N and P materials, along with their circuit symbols. Voltage on the gate controls the current flow through the drain and source by controlling the effective width of the channel, allowing more or less current to flow. Thus, the voltage on the gate acts to control the drain current, just as the voltage on the base of a BJT acts ...