junction field-effect transistor

junction field-effect transistor

[′jəŋk·shən ′fēld i‚fekt tran¦zis·tər]

(electronics)

A field-effect transistor in which there is normally a channel of relatively low-conductivity semiconductor joining the source and drain, and this channel is reduced and eventually cut off by junction depletion regions, reducing the conductivity, when a voltage is applied between the gate electrodes. Abbreviated JFET.