field-effect transistor

[ feeld-i-fekt ]

noun

, Electronics.

1. a transistor in which the output current is varied by varying the value of an electric field within a region of the device. : FET

field-effect transistor

noun

1. 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 FET See also JFET IGFET

field effect transistor

1. 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.
2. Compare bipolar transistor

Word History and Origins

Origin of field-effect transistor¹

First recorded in 1950–55