Body bias switching for an RF switch

• US 9,048,836 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maxim, George, Leipold, Dirk Robert Walter, Scott, Baker
• Primary Examiner(s): Hernandez, William
• Application Number:
  US14/449,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20150035582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 327/382, 327/389, 327/419, 327/427, 327/434, 327/436, 327/534, 327/574, 327/581, 327/594, 327/595
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/267 A capacitor based passive circuit, e.g. filter, being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/165 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/30 Modifications for providing a predetermined threshold before switching shaping pulses by thresholding H03K5/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/302 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/60 the devices being bipolar transistors bipolar transistors having four or more electrodes H03K17/72
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors

Abstract

Embodiments of radio frequency (RF) switching circuitry are disclosed that include (at least) a first switch and a body switching network operably associated with the first switch. The first switch has a first control contact, a first switch contact and a first body contact. The body switching network includes a first switchable path and a second switchable path. The first switchable path is connected between the first body contact and the first control contact of the first switch. Additionally, the second switchable path is connected between the first body contact and the first switch contact. Accordingly, the first body contact is can be appropriately biased by the switchable paths without requiring a resistor network and thus there is less loading. This maintains the Q factor of the RF switching circuitry.

Claims

1. Radio frequency (RF) switching circuitry comprising:

a first switch comprising a first control contact, a first switch contact and a first body contact;

a body switching network operably associated with the first switch, the body switching network comprising;

a first switchable path connected between the first body contact and the first control contact;

a second switchable path connected between the first body contact and the first switch contact;

a bias control device configured to;

open the first switch;

close the first switch;

close the first switchable path when the first switch is open; and

open the first switchable path when the first switch is closed.

2. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 wherein the bias control device is further configured to:

open the second switchable path when the first switch is open;

close the second switchable path when the first switch is closed.

3. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 wherein the first switch is a first field effect transistor (FET) and the first control contact is a first gate contact of the first FET.

4. The RF switching circuitry of claim 3 wherein the first switch contact is a drain contact of the first FET.

5. The RF switching circuitry of claim 3 wherein the first switch contact is a source contact of the first FET.

6. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 further comprising a switch device comprising the first switch and providing an RF switch path, wherein the first switch contact is provided in the RF switch path.

7. The RF switching circuitry of claim 6 wherein:

the first switch further comprises a second switch contact provided in the RF switch path;

the body switching network comprising a third switchable contact path connected between the first body contact and the second switch contact.

8. The RF switching circuitry of claim 7 the bias control device further configured to:

open the second switchable path when the first switch is open;

close the second switchable path when the first switch is closed;

open the third switchable path when the first switch is open;

close the third switchable path when the first switch is closed.

9. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 further comprising a third switchable path connected between the first control contact and the first body contact.

10. The RF switching circuitry of claim 9 the bias control device further configured to:

open the second switchable path when the first switch is open;

close the second switchable path when the first switch is closed;

open the third switchable path when the first switch is closed;

close the third switchable path when the first switch is open.

11. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 further comprising a leakage current compensation circuit configured to detect a leakage current at the first control contact and generate a leakage current compensation signal that reduces the leakage current.

12. The RF switching circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a switch device that defines an RF switch path, the switch device comprising;

the first switch, wherein the first switch contact is in the RF switch path;

a second switch stacked with the first switch comprising a second switch contact, a second body contact, and a second control contact, wherein the second switch contact is in the RF switch path;

the body switching network further comprising;

a third switchable path connected between the second body contact and the second control contact;

a fourth switchable path connected between the second body contact and the second switch contact.

13. The RF switching circuitry of claim 12 wherein:

the switch device further comprises;

a third switch stacked with the first switch and the second switch, wherein the third switch comprises a third switch contact, a third body contact, and a third control contact, wherein the third switch contact is in the RF switch path;

the body switching network further comprising;

a fifth switchable path connected between the third body contact and the third control contact;

a sixth switchable path connected between the third body contact and the third switch contact.

14. The RF switching circuitry of claim 12 wherein:

the first switch is a first FET, the first control contact is a first gate contact of the first FET and the first switch contact is a first drain contact of the first FET;

the second switch is a second FET, the second control contact is a second gate contact of the second FET and the second switch contact is a second drain contact of the second FET.

15. The RF switching circuitry of claim 12 wherein:

the first switch is a first FET, the first control contact is a first gate contact of the first FET and the first switch contact is a first drain contact of the first FET;

the second switch is a second FET, the second control contact is a second gate contact of the second FET and the second switch contact is a first source contact of the second FET.

16. The RF switching circuitry of claim 12 further comprising:

a leakage current compensation circuit configured to detect a leakage current at the first control contact and the second control contact and generate one or more leakage current compensation signals that reduce the leakage current.

17. The RF switching circuitry of claim 16 wherein the leakage current compensation circuit comprises a replica switch device, a current detector, and a current generator that generates the one or more leakage current compensation signals as one leakage current compensation signal.

18. The RF switching circuitry of claim 16 wherein the leakage current compensation circuit comprises a replica switch device, a current detector, and a first current generator that generates a first leakage current compensation signal that is injected into the first control contact and a second current generator that generates a second leakage current compensation signal that is injected into the second control contact so that the one or more leakage current compensation signals comprise the first leakage current compensation signal and the second leakage current compensation signal.

19. A method comprising:

opening a first switch;

closing the first switch;

closing a first switchable path when the first switch is open, wherein the first switchable path is connected between a first body contact of the first switch and a first control contact of the first switch;

opening the first switchable contact path when the first switch is closed;

opening a second switchable path when the first switch is open, wherein the second switchable path is connected between the first body contact of the first switch and a first switch contact of the first switch; and

closing the second switchable path when the first switch is closed.

20. Radio frequency (RF) switching circuitry comprising:

a first switch comprising a first control contact, a first switch contact and a first body contact;

a body switching network operably associated with the first switch, the body switching network comprising;

a first switchable path connected between the first body contact and the first control contact;

a second switchable path connected between the first body contact and the first switch contact;

a bias control device configured to;

open the first switch;

close the first switch;

open the second switchable path when the first switch is open;

close the second switchable path when the first switch is closed.