FET vs MOSFET

The transistor, a semiconductor device, is the device that made all our modern technology possible. It is used to control the current and even to amplify it based on an input voltage or current. There are two major types of transistors, the BJT and the FET. Under each major category, there are many subtypes. This is the most significant difference FET and MOSFET. FET stands for Field Effect Transistor and is a family of very different transistors that collectively rely on an electric field created by the voltage on the gate in order to control the current flow between the drain and the source. One of the many types of FET is the Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor or MOSFET. The Metal-Oxide Semiconductor is used as an insulating layer between the gate and the substrate of the transistor.

The oxide insulation in most MOSFETs nowadays is Silicon Dioxide. It might seem confusing as silicon is not a metal but a metalloid. Initially, a metal was actually used but has been replaced with Silicon due to its superior characteristics. The Silicon Dioxide is basically a capacitor that holds charge whenever voltage is applied to the gate. This charge then creates a field by pulling oppositely charged particles or repelling particles with the same charge and allows or restricts the flow of the current between the drain and source.

Although there are a wide number of transistors that can be used in digital circuitry, it is the MOSFET that is currently preferred. CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) basically uses a p-type and n-type MOSFETs in pairs to complement each other. In this configuration, MOSFETS only have significant power consumption during switching and not while it holds its state. This is very desirable, especially in modern computing equipment where power and thermal limits are pushed to the edge. Other types of FET cannot replicate this capability or are too expensive to manufacture.

Advancements in MOSFETs are constantly evolving, both in size as companies keep going into smaller architectures. But also in design like the 3D MOSFETs that show a lot of promise. MOSFETs are the transistor of choice for today as researchers try to find other types of transistors that can be a suitable replacement for it.

Summary:

1.MOSFET is a type of FET
2.MOSFET is the preferred type of FET for digital circuitry

Source: www.differencebetween.net