MOSFET

What failure can occur when a voltage far above the rating is applied between the gate and source of a MOSFET?

  1. ADielectric breakdown of the gate insulator
  2. BElectromigration
  3. CSoft error
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Answer: A. Dielectric breakdown of the gate insulator

The gate insulator of a MOSFET is very thin, so a voltage above the rating can cause dielectric breakdown, shorting the gate to the channel and destroying the transistor. Because static electricity can also cause this, careful handling and circuit protection are important.

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More MOSFET questions

  1. What is the main reason the channel mobility of a MOSFET is lower than the mobility inside bulk silicon?
  2. In a short-channel MOSFET, what is the main reason the drain current falls below the (VGS − Vth) square law and approaches a linear dependence?
  3. Which expression roughly represents the delay of a CMOS logic gate? (C: load capacitance, V: supply voltage, I: drive current)
  4. What is the sign of the threshold voltage (relative to the source) of an enhancement-mode p-channel MOSFET?
  5. What is the effect in which the gate-drain capacitance appears (1 + gain) times larger when seen from the input of an amplifier?