High power FET switch

• US 5,818,283 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Radio Company Limited (Nisshinbo Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Japan Radio Company Limited (Nisshinbo Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Goro, Tonami, Yoshiyuki, Yamashita, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLUND, TERRY LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/678,668
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 327/436, 327/434, 327/427, 327/308, 327/309, 327/315, 327/318, 327/321, 327/327, 327/328, 327/430, 327/431, 333/81 R
• US Class Current: 327/436
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/102 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6874 in a symmetrical configuration

Abstract

In an FET switch for controllably allowing and inhibiting passage of an input signal in ON state and OFF state, respectively, FETs are connected in a multi-stage configuration. A control voltage adjusting circuit is connected between a gate and one of a drain and a source of each FET. The control voltage adjusting circuit adjusts a gate-source voltage so as to follow the variation of a drain-source voltage. The input voltage applied to the FET switch in OFF state is divided by the plurality of FETs. Since the variation of the gate-source voltage follows the variation of the drain-source voltage, the FET switch is hardly influenced by an amplitude of the input signal.

Claims

1. An FET switch having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, said FET switch maintaining an ON state for transmitting an input signal from said input terminal to said output terminal and an OFF state for preventing transmission of said input signal from said input terminal to said output terminal, said ON signal and said OFF state being controlled by a control voltage supplied to said control terminal, said FET switch comprising:

a plurality of FETs each of which has a drain, a source, and a gate which is coupled to said control terminal, said FETS being connected between said input terminal and said output terminal in a multi-stage series configuration; and

control voltage adjusting means respectively coupling, for each of said FETs, said gate of a respective FET with only one of said drain and said source of said respective FET for adjusting said control voltage in response to said input signal.

2. An FET switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control voltage adjusting means comprises a capacitor.

3. An FET switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control voltage adjusting means comprises a resistor.

4. An FET switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other one of said drain and said source of said respective FET is not coupled to said gate of said respective FET by said control voltage adjusting means.

5. An FET switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of FETs is connected to a transmission path between said input terminal and said output terminal.