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MESFET and Related Devices
The metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) has current-voltage characteristics similar to those of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). However, it uses a metal-semiconductor rectifying contact instead of a MOS structure for the gate electrode. In addition, the source and drain contacts of MESFET are ohmic,* whereas in a MOSFET they are p–n junctions.
Like other field-effect devices, a MESFET has a negative temperature coefficient at high current levels; that is, the current decreases as temperature increases. This characteristic leads to more uniform temperature distribution and the device is therefore thermally stable, even when the active area is large or when many devices are connected in parallel. Furthermore, because MESFETs can be made from compound semiconductors with high electron mobilities, such as GaAs and InP, they have higher switching speeds ...
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