Skip to main content

CMOS Inverter

To understand how a CMOS works we first need to look at the two parts that you need to build a CMOS. Transistors consist mainly of 5 parts,

  1. A Gate, which controls the behavior of the transistor.
  2. Source end.
  3. Drain end.
  4. The body of the transistor.
  5. An Insulating layer, which separates the gate from the body.

MOSFETStructure

nMOS Transistors​

nMOS transistors have a so-called inversion layer that will let current flow from the grounded "source" to the "drain" end if a voltage is applied to the gate.

pMOS Transistors​

pMOS transistors have a lot of things the other way around. The "source" has a current and will only let the current flow to the "drain" end when no voltage is applied to the gate.

Putting Everything Together​

A CMOS inverter combines these two components to then construct an inverter that flips the value of its input.

CMOSInverter