Unpowered switch and bleeder circuit
First Claim
1. A monolithic integrated circuit RF switch comprising at least one RF switch selected from the following RF switch types:
- a depletion-enhancement (D-E) RF switch, an enhancement-depletion (E-D) RF switch, a depletion switch (D-sw) RF switch, and a depletion shunt (D-sh) RF switch, wherein;
(a) the D-E RF switch comprises;
(1) a depletion-mode switch (D-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive an RF signal from an RF input of the D-E RF switch, wherein the D-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the D-E RF switch, and wherein the D-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a first control line C1; and
(2) an enhancement-mode shunt (E-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from the RF input of the D-E RF switch, wherein the E-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the E-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a second control line C1x;
(b) and wherein the E-D RF switch comprises;
(1) an enhancement-mode switch (E-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the E-D RF switch, wherein the E-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the E-D RF switch, and wherein the E-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a third control line C2; and
(2) a depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from the input of the E-D RF switch, wherein the D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a fourth control line C2x;
(c) and wherein the D-sw RF switch comprises a depletion-mode switch (D-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the D-sw RF switch, wherein the D-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the D-sw RF switch, and wherein the D-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by the first control line C1;
(d) and wherein the D-sh RF switch comprises a depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the D-sh RF switch, wherein the D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by the fourth control line C2x.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel RF switch for switching radio frequency (RF) signals is disclosed. The RF switch may comprise both enhancement and depletion mode field-effect transistors (E-FETs and D-FETs) implemented as a monolithic integrated circuit (IC) on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The disclosed RF switch, with a novel bleeder circuit, may be used in RF applications wherein a selected switch state and performance are required when the switch and bleeder circuits are not provided with operating power (i.e., when the switch and bleeder circuits are “unpowered”).
96 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A monolithic integrated circuit RF switch comprising at least one RF switch selected from the following RF switch types:
- a depletion-enhancement (D-E) RF switch, an enhancement-depletion (E-D) RF switch, a depletion switch (D-sw) RF switch, and a depletion shunt (D-sh) RF switch, wherein;
(a) the D-E RF switch comprises;
(1) a depletion-mode switch (D-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive an RF signal from an RF input of the D-E RF switch, wherein the D-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the D-E RF switch, and wherein the D-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a first control line C1; and
(2) an enhancement-mode shunt (E-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from the RF input of the D-E RF switch, wherein the E-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the E-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a second control line C1x;
(b) and wherein the E-D RF switch comprises;
(1) an enhancement-mode switch (E-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the E-D RF switch, wherein the E-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the E-D RF switch, and wherein the E-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a third control line C2; and
(2) a depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from the input of the E-D RF switch, wherein the D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a fourth control line C2x;
(c) and wherein the D-sw RF switch comprises a depletion-mode switch (D-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the D-sw RF switch, wherein the D-Sw circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to an output of the D-sw RF switch, and wherein the D-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by the first control line C1;
(d) and wherein the D-sh RF switch comprises a depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the RF signal from an input of the D-sh RF switch, wherein the D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the RF signal to ground, and wherein the D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by the fourth control line C2x. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a depletion-enhancement (D-E) RF switch, an enhancement-depletion (E-D) RF switch, a depletion switch (D-sw) RF switch, and a depletion shunt (D-sh) RF switch, wherein;
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13. A monolithic integrated circuit single-pole double-throw (SPDT) RF switch, comprising:
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(a) a D-E RF switch selectively conveying a first RF signal between a first RF input node and an RF common node (RFcommon), wherein the D-E RF switch comprises;
(1) a depletion-mode switch (D-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the first RF signal, wherein the D-Sw circuit selectively conveys the first RF signal to the RFcommon, and wherein the D-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a first control line C1; and
(2) an enhancement-mode shunt (E-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the first RF signal, wherein the E-Sh circuit selectively conveys the first RF signal to ground, and wherein the E-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a second control line C1x; and
(b) an E-D RF switch selectively conveying a second RF signal between a second RF input node and the RFcommon, wherein the E-D RF switch comprises;
(1) an enhancement-mode switch (E-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the second RF signal, wherein the E-Sw circuit selectively conveys the second RF signal to the RFcommon, and wherein the E-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a third control line C2; and
(2) a depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the second RF signal, wherein the D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the second RF signal to ground, and wherein the D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a fourth control line C2x. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A monolithic integrated circuit single-pole double-throw (SPDT) RF switch, comprising:
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(a) a first E-D RF switch selectively conveying a first RF signal between a first RF input node and an RF common node (RFcommon), wherein the first E-D RF switch comprises;
(1) a first enhancement-mode switch (E-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the first RF signal, wherein the first E-Sw circuit selectively conveys the first RF signal to the RFcommon, and wherein the first E-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a first control line C1; and
(2) a first depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the first RF signal, wherein the first D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the first RF signal to ground, and wherein the first D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a second control line C1x; and
(b) a second E-D RF switch selectively conveying a second RF signal between a second RF input node and the RFcommon, wherein the second E-D RF switch comprises;
(1) a second enhancement-mode switch (E-Sw) circuit operatively coupled to receive the second RF signal, wherein the second E-Sw circuit selectively conveys the second RF signal to the RFcommon, and wherein the second E-Sw circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a third control line C2; and
(2) a second depletion-mode shunt (D-Sh) circuit operatively coupled to receive the second RF signal, wherein the second D-Sh circuit selectively conveys the second RF signal to ground, and wherein the second D-Sh circuit is controlled by control signals conveyed by a fourth control line C2x. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification