Field effect transistor switching circuit

• US 9,379,698 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TriQuint Semiconductor Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nohra, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Sibin
• Application Number:
  US14/172,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/162 without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/165 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6872 using complementary field-effect transistors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0018 Special modifications or use of the back gate voltage of a FET

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus, system, and method related to a switching circuit. In some embodiments, the switching circuit may include first switch including an n-channel field effect transistor (FET) in the signal path. The switching circuit may further include a second switch in shunt to the first switch. The second switch may include a discharge transistor to provide a discharge path for a body of a switch transistor. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A switching circuit comprising:

a first transistor having a first gate contact, a first drain contact, a first source contact, and a body contact;

a second transistor having a second gate contact, a second drain contact coupled to the first gate contact, and a second source contact coupled to the body contact; and

a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in series between the first drain contact and the first source contact, and wherein the second gate contact is coupled to the first resistor and the second resistor at a node between the first resistor and the second resistor.

2. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are coupled by a control line.

3. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein the first transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor and the second transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor.

4. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein the first transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor and the second transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor.

5. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein the first transistor is adapted to switch an RF signal of around 1800 MHz.

6. The switching circuit of claim 5 wherein the RF signal has a power that ranges between about 32 dBm and around 34 dBm.

7. A switching circuit comprising:

a first switch comprising;

a first transistor having a first gate contact, a first drain contact, a first source contact, and a first body contact;

a second transistor having a second gate contact, a second drain contact coupled to the first gate contact, and a second source contact coupled to the first body contact;

a second switch circuit comprising;

a third transistor having a third gate contact, a third drain contact coupled to the first source, a third source contact, and a third body contact; and

a fourth transistor having a fourth gate contact, a fourth drain contact coupled to the third gate contact, and a fourth source contact coupled to the third body contact; and

a first resistor and a second resistor coupled in series between the first drain contact and the first source contact, and wherein the second gate contact is coupled to the first resistor and the second resistor at a node between the first resistor and the second resistor.

8. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are coupled by a control line.

9. The switching circuit of claim 7 further including a third resistor and a fourth resistor coupled in series between the third drain contact and the third source contact, and wherein the third gate contact is coupled to the third resistor and the fourth resistor at a node between the third resistor and the fourth resistor.

10. The switching circuit of claim 9 wherein the third resistor and the fourth resistor are coupled by a control line.

11. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the first transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor and the second transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor.

12. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the first transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor and the second transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor.

13. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the third transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor and the fourth transistor is an N-channel field effect transistor.

14. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the third transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor and the fourth transistor is a P-channel field effect transistor.

15. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the gate contact of the first transistor and the gate contact of the third transistor are coupled together.

16. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the first transistor and the third transistor are adapted to switch an RF signal of around 1800 MHz.

17. The switching circuit of claim 16 wherein the RF signal has a power that ranges between about 32 dBm and around 34 dBm.

18. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein the third source contact is coupled to a fixed voltage node.