Integrated circuit incorporating RF antenna switch and power amplifier
First Claim
1. A Radio Frequency (RF) antenna switch circuit, comprising:
- first coupling means for electrically coupling an antenna to a transmitter circuit;
second coupling means for electrically coupling said antenna to a receiver circuit;
control means for establishing a signal path from said antenna to either said transmit circuit or said receiver circuit in accordance with a transmit/receive control signal; and
wherein said first coupling means and said second coupling means each comprise one or more field effect transistors (FETs) whose substrate terminals are configured to be substantially electrically floating.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel integrated circuit incorporating a transmit/receive antenna switch capable of being integrated using silicon based RF CMOS semiconductor processes and a power amplifier on the same substrate. The switch circuit is constructed whereby the substrate (i.e. bulk) terminals of the FETs are left floating thus improving the isolation and reducing the insertion loss of the switch. Floating the substrate of the transistors eliminates most of the losses caused by leakage paths through parasitic capacitances internal to the transistor thus improving the isolation and reducing the insertion loss of the switch. Alternatively, the substrate can be connected to the source or to ground via a resistor of sufficiently high value to effectively float the substrate.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A Radio Frequency (RF) antenna switch circuit, comprising:
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first coupling means for electrically coupling an antenna to a transmitter circuit;
second coupling means for electrically coupling said antenna to a receiver circuit;
control means for establishing a signal path from said antenna to either said transmit circuit or said receiver circuit in accordance with a transmit/receive control signal; and
wherein said first coupling means and said second coupling means each comprise one or more field effect transistors (FETs) whose substrate terminals are configured to be substantially electrically floating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A Radio Frequency (RF) antenna switch circuit, comprising:
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a first field effect transistor (FET) having a drain terminal electrically connected to a transmitter circuit, a source terminal electrically connected to an antenna, a gate terminal and a first substrate terminal, wherein said first substrate terminal is left substantially electrically floating;
a second field effect transistor (FET) having a drain terminal electrically connected to a receiver circuit, a source terminal electrically connected to said antenna, a gate terminal and a second substrate terminal, wherein said second substrate terminal is left substantially electrically floating; and
a control circuit adapted to generate gate control signals applied to the gate terminals of said first FET and second FET so as to establish a signal path from said antenna to either said transmit circuit or said receiver circuit in accordance with a transmit/receive input control signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A monolithic integrated circuit, comprising:
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a radio Frequency (RF) antenna switch circuit comprising first coupling means for electrically coupling an antenna to a transmitter circuit, second coupling means for electrically coupling said antenna to a receiver circuit, control means for establishing a signal path from said antenna to either said transmit circuit or said receiver circuit in accordance with a transmit/receive switch control signal, wherein said first coupling means and said second coupling means each comprise one or more field effect transistors (FETs) whose substrate terminals are configured to be substantially electrically floating; and
a power amplifier comprising a differential input, an output, a gain control input and an enable input coupled to said transmit/receive switch control signal, said power amplifier operative to generate an amplified output signal at said output from a signal present at said differential input while enabled by said transmit/receive switch control signal.
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Specification