High performance radio frequency switch
First Claim
1. A Unit high-electron-mobility transistor (hereinafter “
- HEMT”
) cell, comprising;
a gallium nitride (hereinafter “
GaN”
) layer;
a two-dimensional electron gas (hereinafter “
2DEG”
) layer disposed on the GaN layer;
a gate dielectric layer disposed on the 2DEG layer;
a GaN HEMT having a gate disposed on the gate dielectric layer, a drain adjacent to one side of the gate and a source adjacent to an opposing side of the gate, the GaN HEMT disposed on and including the GaN layer, and the GaN HEMT having its gate coupled to one terminal of a 2DEG gate bias resistor;
a HEMT cell gate coupled to another terminal of the 2DEG gate bias resistor;
a HEMT cell drain coupled to one terminal of a 2DEG linearity resistor and to the drain of the GaN HEMT; and
a HEMT cell source coupled to another terminal of the 2DEG linearity resistor and to the source of the GaN HEMT.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A HEMT cell includes two or more gallium nitride (“GaN”) high-electron-mobility transistor (“HEMT”) devices electrically connected in series with each other. The HEMT cell includes a HEMT cell drain, a HEMT cell source and a HEMT cell gate. The HEMT cell drain connects with the drain of a first GaN HEMT device in the series. The HEMT cell source connects with the source of a last GaN HEMT device in the series. The HEMT cell gate connects to a first two-dimensional electron gas (“2DEG”) gate bias resistor that connects with the gate of the first GaN HEMT device. The HEMT cell gate connects to a second 2DEG gate bias resistor that connects with the gate of the second GaN HEMT device. The first and second 2DEG gate bias resistors are located in a 2DEG layer of the HEMT cell. A multi-throw RF switch is also disclosed.
13 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A Unit high-electron-mobility transistor (hereinafter “
- HEMT”
) cell, comprising;a gallium nitride (hereinafter “
GaN”
) layer;a two-dimensional electron gas (hereinafter “
2DEG”
) layer disposed on the GaN layer;a gate dielectric layer disposed on the 2DEG layer; a GaN HEMT having a gate disposed on the gate dielectric layer, a drain adjacent to one side of the gate and a source adjacent to an opposing side of the gate, the GaN HEMT disposed on and including the GaN layer, and the GaN HEMT having its gate coupled to one terminal of a 2DEG gate bias resistor; a HEMT cell gate coupled to another terminal of the 2DEG gate bias resistor; a HEMT cell drain coupled to one terminal of a 2DEG linearity resistor and to the drain of the GaN HEMT; and a HEMT cell source coupled to another terminal of the 2DEG linearity resistor and to the source of the GaN HEMT. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- HEMT”
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5. A Unit high-electron-mobility transistor (hereinafter “
- HEMT”
) cell, comprising;a gallium nitride (hereinafter “
GaN”
) layer;a two-dimensional electron gas (hereinafter “
2DEG”
) layer disposed on the GaN layer;a gate dielectric layer disposed on the 2DEG layer; a plurality of GaN HEMTs disposed on the GaN layer, each GaN HEMT of the plurality of GaN HEMTs being electrically connected in series with each other such that a first GaN HEMT is electrically connected in series with a second GaN HEMT by sharing one of a drain and a source of the first GaN HEMT with one of the other of a drain and a source of the second GaN HEMT; a HEMT cell drain, a HEMT cell source, and a HEMT cell gate; the HEMT cell gate coupled to one terminal of a first 2DEG gate bias resistor and another terminal of the first 2DEG gate bias resistor coupled to a gate of the first GaN HEMT; the HEMT cell gate also coupled to one terminal of a second 2DEG gate bias resistor, wherein another terminal of the second 2DEG gate bias resistor is coupled to a gate of the second GaN HEMT; the drain of the first GaN HEMT coupled to one terminal of a first 2DEG linearity resistor and the source of the first GaN HEMT coupled to another terminal of the first 2DEG linearity resistor; the drain of the second GaN HEMT also coupled to one terminal of a second 2DEG linearity resistor and the source of the second GaN HEMT coupled to another terminal of the second 2DEG linearity resistor; the HEMT cell drain coupled to a remaining unshared drain or source of a very first GaN HEMT in the plurality of GaN HEMTs; and the HEMT cell source coupled to a remaining unshared drain or source of a very last GaN HEMT in the plurality of GaN HEMTs. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- HEMT”
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11. A circuit comprising:
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a Unit high-electron-mobility transistor (hereinafter “
HEMT”
) cell coupled to a controller, the Unit HEMT cell including;a gallium nitride (hereinafter “
GaN”
) layer,a two-dimensional electron gas (hereinafter “
2DEG”
) layer disposed on the GaN layer,a gate dielectric layer disposed on the 2DEG layer, a plurality of GaN HEMTs including a first GaN HEMT and a second GaN HEMT disposed on the gate dielectric layer, wherein the first GaN HEMT and the second GaN HEMT are configured such that one of a drain and a source of the first GaN HEMT and one of the other of a drain and a source of the second GaN HEMT are connected to a shared node, a HEMT cell drain coupled to a remaining unshared drain or source of the first GaN HEMT, a HEMT cell source coupled to a remaining unshared drain or source of the second GaN HEMT, the drain of the first GaN HEMT coupled to one terminal of a first 2DEG linearity resistor, and the source of the first GaN HEMT coupled to the other terminal of the first 2DEG linearity resistor, the drain of the second GaN HEMT coupled to one terminal of a second 2DEG linearity resistor, and the source of the second GaN HEMT coupled to the other terminal of the second 2DEG linearity resistor, a HEMT cell gate coupled to one terminal of a first 2DEG gate bias resistor, wherein another terminal of the first 2DEG gate bias resistor is coupled to a gate of the first GaN HEMT, the HEMT cell gate also coupled to one terminal of a second 2DEG gate bias resistor, wherein another terminal of the second 2DEG gate bias resistor is coupled to a gate of the second GaN HEMT, and a radio frequency sense circuit having an input terminal coupled to the gate of one GaN HEMT of the plurality of GaN HEMTs and having an output terminal coupled to the controller, wherein the radio frequency sense circuit outputs a feedback signal in response to detecting a high power radio frequency signal present in at least one of the drain and the source of the one GaN HEMT; and the controller including; a charge pump having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the radio frequency sense circuit and having an output terminal, and a negative voltage level shifter having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the charge pump, a second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the radio frequency sense circuit and having an output terminal coupled to the HEMT cell gate, wherein, in response to the feedback signal, the controller outputs one of a high-level negative bias voltage signal and a low-level negative bias voltage signal to the HEMT cell gate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification