Circuits having switches providing increased voltage swing uniformity

• US 9,509,363 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Madan, Anuj, Fuh, Hanching, Altunkilic, Fikret, Blin, Guillaume Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US14/663,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/50 Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/162 without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being 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: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

Circuits are disclosed providing uniform voltage swing across transmit switches for improved device performance. An integrated circuit (IC) formed on a die includes a switch having one or more field effect transistors (FETs) defining an RF signal path between an input port and an output port, each FET having a body node, and the switch being configured to be capable of being in ON and OFF states. The IC further includes a voltage distribution circuit coupled to the switch and configured to reduce voltage distribution variation across the switch, the voltage distribution circuit including one or more elements coupled to a selected body node of one or more FETs to reduce voltage distribution variation across the switch when the switch is in an ON state and is encountered by a respective RF signal at the input port.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) formed on a die, the IC comprising:

a switch including a first field effect transistor (FET) having a first body node and a second FET having a second body node, the first and second FETs defining an RF signal path between an input port and an output port; and

a voltage distribution circuit coupled to the switch and configured to reduce voltage distribution variation across the switch, the voltage distribution circuit including a connection path connected between the first body node and the second body node, the connection path including a first resistor in series with a first capacitor, the voltage distribution circuit further including a resistive network connected between the first body node and the second body node, the resistive network including a bias node connected between third and fourth resistors.

2. The IC of claim 1 further comprising a transceiver circuit electrically connected to the switch and configured to process RF signals.

3. The IC of claim 1 wherein the voltage distribution circuit further includes a feed-forward capacitive element configured to couple the first body node of the first FET to a drain or source of the first FET.

4. The IC of claim 3 wherein the feed-forward capacitive element is coupled in series with a fifth resistor.

5. The IC of claim 1 wherein the voltage distribution circuit further includes a feed-forward capacitive element connected in series to a resistive element, wherein the feed-forward capacitive element and the resistive element are configured to couple an RF present on the RF signal path to the first body node of the first FET.

6. The IC of claim 1 wherein the voltage distribution circuit further includes a fifth resistor coupled to a first gate node of the first FET to thereby enable floating of the first gate node.

7. The IC of claim 1 wherein the voltage distribution circuit further includes a sixth resistor coupled to a second gate node of the second FET to thereby enable floating of the second gate node.

8. A wireless device, comprising:

at least one antenna configured to facilitate transmission and reception of radio-frequency (RF) signals;

a transceiver coupled to the antenna and configured to process RF signals; and

a switch having a first field effect transistor (FET) having a first body node and a second FET having a second body node, the first and second FETs defining an RF signal path between an input port and an output port; and

a voltage distribution circuit coupled to the switch and configured to reduce voltage distribution variation across the switch when the switch is in an ON state and encountered by an RF signal at the input port, the voltage distribution circuit including a connection path connected between the first body node and the second body node, the connection path including a first resistor in series with a first capacitor, the voltage distribution circuit further including a resistive network connected between the first body node and the second body node, the resistive network including a bias node connected between third and fourth resistors of the resistive network.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 further comprising a receptacle configured to receive a battery and to provide electrical connection between the battery and the switch.