Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

What Does Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor Mean?

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is a type of transistor that can control electronic signals. The basic principle of a MOSFET is that the electrons (change carriers) flow along channels; the conduction of a MOSFET is determined by channel width which can be varied through gates (electrodes).

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Techopedia Explains Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor is most commonly used for amplifying or switching electronic signals by varying current through them. They are used in network hardware equipment for high-speed switching and integrated circuits in computers. The broader the channel, the better the transistor conducts. The charged electron enters the channel from the source point, and leaves through a drain. A gate electrode controls the width of the channel by varying the voltage on and through it. The gate is placed between the source and drain and is insulated from the channel by an extremely thin layer of metal oxide. The insulation prevents the current from flowing between the gate and channel.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…