Semiconductor switch apparatus including isolated MOS transistors

• US 6,836,172 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Okashita, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B.
• Application Number:
  US10/443,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 327/382, 327/564-566, 257/347, 257/348, 257/350, 257/360
• US Class Current: 327/382
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/761 PN junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76264 SOI together with lateral isolation, e.g. using local oxidation of silicon, or dielectric or polycristalline material refilled trench or air gap isolation regions, e.g. completely isolated semiconductor islands
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76281 Lateral isolation by selective oxidation of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76283 Lateral isolation by refilling of trenches with dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823481 isolation region manufacturing related aspects, e.g. to avoid interaction of isolation region with adjacent structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/088 the components being field-effect transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1203 the substrate comprising an insulating body on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI three-dimensional layout H01L27/0688
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6871 the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor
• 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

Abstract

In a semiconductor switch apparatus including an input terminal, an output terminal, an AC ground terminal, a DC ground terminal, at least one series MOS transistor connected between the input terminal and the output terminal, and at least one shunt MOS transistor connected between one of the input terminal and the output terminal and the AC ground terminal, the series MOS transistor is formed within a first region of a semiconductor layer on a silicon-on-insulator configuration surrounded by a first trench insulating layer, and the shunt MOS transistor is formed within a second region of the semiconductor layer surrounded by a second trench insulating layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor switch apparatus, comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

an AC around terminal;

a DC around terminal;

a semiconductor substrate;

an insulating layer formed on said semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on said insulating layer;

at least one series MOS transistor formed within a first region of said semiconductor layer and connected between said input terminal and said output terminal;

at least one shunt MOS transistor formed within a second region of said semiconductor layer and connected between (a) one of said input terminal and said output terminal and (b) said AC around terminal, said shunt MOS transistor being operated complementarily with said series MOS transistor;

a first trench insulating layer surrounding said series MOS transistor;

a second trench insulating layer surrounding said shunt MOS transistor;

a control terminal;

a power supply terminal for generating a first power supply voltage;

a DC/DC converter, connected to said power supply terminal, for generating a second power supply voltage; and

a switching circuit, connected to said control terminal, said power supply terminal and said DC/DC converter, for generating first and second complementary control signals in accordance with a voltage at said control terminal and transmitting said first and second complementary control signals to gates of said series MOS transistor and said shunt MOS transistor, respectively,

one of said first and second complementary control signals being said first power supply voltage, the other of said first and second complementary control signals being said second power supply voltage.

2. A semiconductor switch apparatus, comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

an AC ground terminal;

a DC ground terminal;

a semiconductor substrate;

an insulating layer formed on said semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on said insulating layer;

at least one series MOS transistor formed within a first region of said semiconductor layer and connected between said input terminal and said output terminal;

at least one shunt MOS transistor formed within a second region of said semiconductor layer and connected between (a) one of said input terminal and said output terminal and (b) said AC ground terminal, said shunt MOS transistor being operated complementarily with said series MOS transistor;

a first trench insulating layer surrounding said series MOS transistor;

a second trench insulating layer surrounding said shunt MOS transistor;

a control terminal;

a power supply terminal for generating a first power supply voltage;

a DC/DC converter, connected to said power supply terminal, for generating a second power supply voltage; and

a switching circuit, connected to said control terminal, said DC/DC converter and said DC ground terminal, for generating first and second complementary control signals in accordance with a voltage at said control terminal and transmitting said first and second complementary control signals to gates of said series MOS transistor and said shunt MOS transistor, respectively,

one of said first and second complementary control signals being said second power supply voltage, the other of said first and second complementary control signals being a voltage at said DC ground terminal.

3. A semiconductor switch apparatus comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

an AC ground terminal;

a DC ground terminal;

a semiconductor substrate;

an insulating layer formed on said semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on said insulating layer;

a plurality of series MOS transistors formed within a first region of said semiconductor layer and connected in series between said input terminal and said output terminal;

a plurality of shunt MOS transistors formed within a second region of said semiconductor layer and connected in series between (a) one of said input terminal and said output terminal and (b) said AC ground terminal, said shunt MOS transistors being operated complementarily with said series MOS transistors;

a first trench insulating layer surrounding said series MOS transistors; and

a second trench insulating layer surrounding said shunt MOS transistors.

4. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of first resistors, each first resistor connected between a back gate of one of said series MOS transistors and said DC ground terminal; and

a plurality of second resistors, each second resistor connected between a back gate of one of said shunt MOS transistors and said DC ground terminal.

5. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the resistance value of each said first and second resistors is from about 500Ω

to about 10 MΩ

.

6. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

each of said first resistors is located outside of said first trench insulating layer, and

each of said second resistors is located outside of said second trench insulating layer.

7. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

each of said first resistors is located inside of said first trench insulating layer, and

each of said second resistors is located inside of said second trench insulating layer.

8. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

each of said first resistors comprises a low impurity concentration region within the first region of said semiconductor layer, and

each of said each of second resistors comprises a low impurity concentration region within the second region of said semiconductor layer.

9. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

each of said first resistors extends within the first region of said semiconductor layer, between a gate terminal and a second terminal of one of said series MOS transistors, and

each of said second resistors extends within the second re on of said semiconductor layer, between a gate terminal and a second terminal of one of said shunt MOS transistors.

10. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

a control terminal;

a power supply terminal for generating a first power supply voltage;

a DC/DC converter, connected to said power supply terminal, for generating a second power supply voltage; and

a switching circuit, connected to said control terminal, said power supply terminal and said DC/DC converter, for generating first and second complementary control signals in accordance with a voltage at said control terminal and transmitting said first and second complementary control signals to gates of said series MOS transistors and said shunt MOS transistors, respectively,

one of said first and second complementary control signals being said first power supply voltage, the other of said first and second complementary control signals being said second power supply voltage.

11. The semiconductor switch apparatus set forth in claim 3, comprising:

a control terminal;

a power supply terminal for generating a first power supply voltage;

a DC/DC converter, connected to said power supply, terminal, for generating a second power supply voltage; and

a switching circuit, connected to said control terminal, said DC/DC converter and said DC ground terminal, for generating first and second complementary control signals in accordance with a voltage at said control terminal and transmitting said first and second complementary control signals to gates of said series MOS transistors and said shunt MOS transistors, respectively,

one of said first and second complementary control signals being said second power supply voltage, the other of said first and second complementary control signals being a voltage at said DC ground terminal.

12. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said apparatus comprises a single pole single throw type switch.

13. The semiconductor switch apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said apparatus comprises a single pole double throw type switch.