field-effect transistor
a transistor in which the output current is varied by varying the value of an electric field within a region of the device. Abbreviation: FET
Origin of field-effect transistor
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for field-effect transistor
a unipolar transistor consisting of three or more electrode regions, the source, one or more gates, and the drain. A current flowing in a channel between the highly doped source and drain is controlled by the electric field arising from a voltage applied between source and gate: Abbreviation: FET See also JFET, IGFET
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for field effect transistor
A type of transistor, usually made of semiconductors, in which the flow of current from a source on one side to a drain on the other is regulated by the strength of an electric field. This field is produced by a voltage at a third point called the gate, which effectively squeezes or opens the channel to the flow of current. Field effect transistors are especially useful for amplifying or switching very low power signals, as found in portable wireless technology, microprocessors, and digital memory circuits. Compare bipolar transistor.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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