RF switch branch having improved linearity

• US 9,190,994 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newport Fab, LLC (Tower Semiconductor Limited)
• Original Assignee: Newport Fab, LLC (Tower Semiconductor Limited)
• Inventors: Hurwitz, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US13/952,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 327/434, 327436-437, 333/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/161 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0054 Gating switches, e.g. pass gates

Abstract

Disclosed is a radio frequency (RF) switch branch having a reduced nonlinearity and an associated method for reducing nonlinearity in a RF switch branch. The RF switch branch includes a primary transistor, a first transistor having power terminals electrically connected between a drain node and a body node of the primary transistor, and a second transistor having power terminals electrically connected between the body node and a source node of the primary transistor. The RF switch may further include a body resistor electrically connected between the body node of the primary transistor and ground, and a gate resistor electrically connected between a gate of the primary transistor and a gate voltage source. A gate of each of the first transistor and the second transistor is electrically connected to the gate voltage source such that the first transistor and the second transistor are ON only when the primary transistor is ON.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) switch branch having a reduced nonlinearity, said RF switch branch comprising:

a primary transistor;

a first transistor having power terminals electrically connected between a drain node and a body node of said primary transistor;

a second transistor having power terminals electrically connected between said body node and a source node of said primary transistor;

wherein one of said power terminals of said first transistor and one of said power terminals of said second transistor are coupled to ground through a body resistor of said primary transistor;

wherein a ratio between a body node-to-ground impedance of said primary transistor and either a drain-to-body impedance of said primary transistor or a source-to-body impedance of said primary transistor increases without increasing said body node-to-ground impedance when said primary transistor is ON.

2. The RF switch branch of claim 1, further comprising a body resistor electrically connected between said body node of said primary transistor and ground.

3. The RF switch branch of claim 1, further comprising a gate resistor electrically connected between a gate of said primary transistor and a gate voltage source.

4. The RF switch branch of claim 3, wherein a gate of each of said first transistor and said second transistor is electrically connected to said gate voltage source such that said first transistor and said second transistor are ON only when said primary transistor is ON.

5. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are configured to bias said body node of said primary transistor to a voltage substantially equal to a midpoint between a drain voltage and a source voltage of said primary transistor.

6. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein an area of each of said first transistor and said second transistor is substantially smaller than an area of said primary transistor.

7. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein said RF switch branch is configured to attenuate even order harmonics of a signal input to said RF switch branch, at an output of said RF switch branch when said primary transistor is ON.

8. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein said RF switch branch has an odd transfer function when said primary transistor is ON.

9. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein said primary transistor is a field effect transistor (FET).

10. The RF switch branch of claim 1, wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are field effect transistors (FETs).

11. A method for reducing nonlinearity in a radio frequency (RF) switch branch, said method comprising:

for a primary transistor within said RF switch branch;

biasing a body node of said primary transistor to a voltage substantially equal to a midpoint between a drain voltage and a source voltage of said primary transistor;

a first transistor having power terminals coupled between a drain node and a body node of said primary transistor;

a second transistor having power terminals coupled between said body node and a source node of said primary transistor;

wherein one of said power terminals of said first transistor and one of said power terminals of said second transistor are coupled to ground through a body resistor of said primary transistor;

wherein a ratio between a body node-to-ground impedance of said primary transistor and either a drain-to-body impedance of said primary transistor or a source-to-body impedance of said primary transistor increases without increasing said body node-to-ground impedance when said primary transistor is ON.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said one of said power terminals of said first transistor is a drain terminal and said one of said power terminals of said second transistor is a source terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are ON only when said primary transistor is ON.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein an area of each of said first transistor and said second transistor is substantially smaller than an area of said primary transistor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said biasing occurs when said primary transistor is ON.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising attenuating even order harmonics of a signal input to said RF switch branch, at an output of said RF switch branch when said primary transistor is ON.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said biasing increases said ratio between said body node-to-ground impedance of said primary transistor and said source-to-body impedance of said primary transistor when said primary transistor is ON.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said biasing increases said ratio between said body node-to-ground impedance of said primary transistor and said drain-to-body impedance of said primary transistor when said primary transistor is ON.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said primary transistor is a field effect transistor (FET).

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are field effect transistors (FETs).