@zetasyanthis it's actually just a MOSFET that's designed to take advantage of its parasitic BJT! So the MOSFET conduction channel also still exists in parallel to the BJT i believe (though it's rather high resistance, as you want most of the current going through the BJT structure)

an interesting fact of this is that N-channel devices actually have a PNP parasitic transistor structure, and P-channel devices NPN
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@Felthry

Interesting... I didn't actually know that MOSFETs had a parasitic BJT. I guess the classes I took stopped right before that level. :P

@zetasyanthis https://i.stack.imgur.com/gBhYF.jpg i found this image that shows the parasitic BJT and the less commonly used parasitic JFET! (there's really no way i can think of to actually make use of that jfet though)
-F

@zetasyanthis I think some types of MOSFET might not have the parasitic BJT, but it's not generally worth using as, unless designed otherwise as in an IGBT, it's near impossible to actually turn on that BJT
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@Felthry

Yeah, this is where you went way farther into transistor-land than I did. I know zip about JFETs (and goodness knows however other many specialist types there are) as well. MOSFETs are just switches to me. :P

@Felthry

I can basically build a class AB amplifier, and use MOSFETs as high-side or (preferably) low-side control elements, and that's about as far as I get. Much more computer engineering focused than electrical.

@zetasyanthis JFETs are neat, they're just a diode that you're using as a transistor basically

single p-n junction, current can flow from one side of the n to the other but if you reverse-bias the junction enough the depletion region stops current flow
-F