Electronic switch

• US 20010040479A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alpha Industries Incorporated (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alpha Industries Incorporated (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhang, Shuyun
• Application Number:
  US09/798,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/427
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6871 the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/693 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00

Abstract

An electronic switch structure is disclosed. Capacitors are employed to bias gate-source and gate-drain connections in multi-gate or multi-FET structures achieving linear switch operation over a wide range of signal input power values.

Claims

1. An electric switch, the electric switch comprising:

a multigate field effect transistor having a plurality of gates, a drain and a source, the transistor having a first gate which is proximate to the drain and a second gate which is proximate to the source;

a first capacitor connecting the drain to the first gate; and

a second capacitor connecting the source to the second gate.

2. An electric switch according to

claim 1

wherein the plurality of gates are electrically coupled.

3. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate and wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 5 volts.

4. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate and wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 3.3 volts.

5. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate and wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 3.0 volts.

6. An electric switch according to

claim 1

wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate and wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 2.6 volts.

7. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein the electric switch is a microwave switch and operates at microwave frequencies.

8. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein the microwave frequencies are above 1 Ghz.

9. An electric switch according to

claim 7

, wherein the power of the received microwave circuit is above 37 dBm of P−

0.1 dB.

10. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate and wherein the first capacitor is of such a capacitance that the gate to source voltage at the first gate is kept below a pinch-off voltage for the transistor when a control voltage having a low state is applied to the first gate.

11. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance which is greater than C_gsoff.

12. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, wherein the second capacitor has a capacitance which is greater than C_gsoff.

13. An electric switch according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

a second field effect transistor having a plurality of gates, a drain and a source, the second field effect transistor having a first gate which is proximate to the drain and a second gate which is proximate to the source;

a third capacitor connecting the first gate and drain of the second field effect transistor;

a fourth capacitor connecting the second gate and source of the second field effect transistor;

wherein the third capacitor and the second capacitor are electrically coupled.

14. An electric switch according to

claim 13

wherein the switch is a transmit and receive switch and wherein an input for sending and receiving is connected to the compling of the second and third capacitors.

15. An electric switch, the switch comprising:

a group of field effect transistors, each field effect transistor in the group having a gate, a drain and a source, the transistors connected in series source to drain first to last, wherein a signal flows into the source of the first transistor in the group of transistors and exits the drain of a last transistor in the group when a channel is formed, a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate to open or close the channel;

a first capacitor connected between the gate and the source of the first transistor for keeping a voltage between the gate and the source of the first transistor below a pinch off voltage for the first transistor when a control voltage to close the channel is applied to the gate of the first transistor; and

a second capacitor connected between the gate and the drain of the last transistor for keeping the voltage at the gate of the last transistor below a pinch-off voltage for the last transistor when a control voltage to close the channel applied to the gate of the last transistor.

16. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein during a period divided into a first and a second half when an alternating current signal is applied, the first capacitor maintains the first transistor in an off state during the first half of the period and the second capacitor maintains the last transistor in an off state during the second half of the period.

17. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, further comprising

a second group of field effect transistors, each field effect transistor in the group having a gate, a drain and a source, the transistors connected in series from first to last, wherein a signal flows into the source of the first transistor in the group of transistors and exits the drain of a last transistor in the group when a channel is formed wherein a control voltage having a high and a low state may be applied to a gate to open or close the channel;

a third capacitor connected between the gate and the source of the first transistor of the second group for keeping a voltage between the gate and the source of the first transistor of the second group below a pinch off voltage for the first transistor when a control voltage to close the channel is applied to the gate; and

a fourth capacitor connected between the gate and the drain of the last transistor of the second group for keeping the voltage at the gate of the last transistor of the second group below a pinch-off voltage for the last transistor of the second group when a control voltage to close the channel is applied to the gate of the last transistor.

18. The switch according to

claim 17

, further comprising:

a signal port connected to the second and third capacitors for receiving and sending a microwave signal.

19. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 5 volts.

20. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 3.3 volts.

21. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 3.0 volts.

22. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the difference between the high and the low state is less than 2.6 volts.

23. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the electric switch is a microwave switch and operates at microwave frequencies.

24. An electric switch according to

claim 15

, wherein the microwave frequencies are above 1 Ghz.

25. An electric switch, the electric switch comprising:

a means for switching an electrical signal from an input terminal to an output terminal;

a means for reducing a first impedance between the input terminal and a first gate input of the switching means; and

a means for reducing a second impedance between the output terminal and a second gate input of the switching means.

26. A method for creating an electric switch comprising:

providing a first multigate transistor having at least a first gate and a last gate and a source and a drain;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the source and the first gate of the first multigate transistor;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the drain and the last gate of the first multigate transistor;

providing a second multigate transistor having at least a first gate and a last gate and a source and a drain.

electrically coupling a capacitor between the source and the first gate of the second multigate transistor;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the drain and the last gate of the second multigate transistor.

27. A method for creating an electric switch comprising:

providing a first group of field effect transistors having at least a first transistor and a last transistor wherein each field effect transmitter has a source, a drain and a gate;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the source and the gate of the first field effect transistor in the first group;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the drain and the gate of the last field effect transistor in the first group;

providing a second group of field effect transistors having at least a first transistor and a last transistor wherein each field effect transmitter has a source, a drain and a gate;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the source and the gate of the first field

effect transistor in the second group;

electrically coupling a capacitor between the drain and the gate of the last field effect transistor in the second group; and

electrically coupling the first group and the second group creating a transmission port.