High linearity wide dynamic range radio frequency antenna switch

• US 7,459,988 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iversen, Christian Rye
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Alan
• Application Number:
  US11/532,725
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 333/101, 333/103, 333/262
• US Class Current: 333/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/15 by semiconductor devices

Abstract

The present invention is a wide dynamic range antenna switch that, when disabled, has a stable input impedance over a wide power range. The wide dynamic range antenna switch includes multiple transistors, which are coupled in series, to provide a main signal path between an antenna connection and a radio connection. Direct current (DC) bias signals are provided to each of the transistors to ensure than when the antenna switch is disabled, the input impedance is stable. A control input, which may operate with low voltage control signals, enables or disables the antenna switch. The antenna switch may be coupled with other antenna switches in a communications system with multiple transceivers sharing a common antenna, and with a wide range of transmitter output power levels. Different embodiments of the present invention provide different DC bias circuit architectures.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) antenna switch comprising:

a plurality of switching transistor elements coupled in series to form a switching transistor element chain comprising;

an antenna connection node and a radio connection node at either end of the switching transistor element chain; and

at least one interconnection node where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled; and

bias circuitry comprising;

a first bias network and a second bias network, which are coupled in series between the antenna connection node and the radio connection node, and provide an intermediate node between the first bias network and the second bias network; and

a bias conditioning circuit coupled between the intermediate node and one of the at least one interconnection nodes where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled,

wherein the bias circuitry is adapted to provide at least one signal path between the intermediate node and the at least one interconnection node where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled in at least a first mode of operation, and at least one bias signal provided to the at least one interconnection node where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled is based on an antenna signal at the antenna connection node and a radio signal at the radio connection node.

2. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein:

the RF antenna switch is adapted to receive an RF antenna switch control signal that selects one of the first mode and a second mode of operation; and

each switching transistor element further comprises a transistor element control input adapted to;

when operating in the first mode, provide a high impedance path through the each switching transistor element; and

when operating in the second mode, provide a low impedance path through the each switching transistor element.

3. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of switching transistor elements further comprise a plurality of transistor element control inputs; and

the RF antenna switch further comprises a plurality of switching transistor element control networks coupled to the plurality of transistor element control inputs, wherein the plurality of transistor element control inputs are adapted to receive an RF antenna switch control signal.

4. The RF antenna switch of claim 3 wherein the plurality of switching transistor element control networks further comprise a plurality of resistive elements.

5. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein:

a switching transistor element that is coupled to the antenna connection node further comprises a transistor element control input; and

the RF antenna switch further comprises an antenna side phase shift network coupled between the antenna connection node and the transistor element control input.

6. The RF antenna switch of claim 5 wherein the antenna side phase shift network further comprises a capacitive element.

7. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein:

a switching transistor element that is coupled to the radio connection node further comprises a transistor element control input; and

the RF antenna switch further comprises a radio side phase shift network coupled between the radio connection node and the transistor element control input.

8. The RF antenna switch of claim 7 wherein the radio side phase shift network further comprises a capacitive element.

9. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the plurality of switching transistor elements consists of two switching transistor elements.

10. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of switching transistor elements consists of three switching transistor elements; and

the bias circuitry further comprises a third bias network coupled between two of the at least one interconnection nodes where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled.

11. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the bias circuitry further comprises a plurality of bias networks coupled in series to form a bias networks chain comprising a plurality of bias connection nodes where any two of the plurality of bias networks are coupled, wherein the plurality of bias connection nodes are coupled to the at least one interconnection node where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled.

12. The RF antenna switch of claim 11 wherein the plurality of bias networks further comprise a plurality of resistive elements.

13. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the bias conditioning circuit further comprises a substantially short circuit.

14. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the bias conditioning circuit further comprises a resistive element.

15. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the bias conditioning circuit further comprises a diode element, wherein an anode of the diode element is coupled to the intermediate node, and a cathode of the diode element is coupled to the one of the at least one interconnection nodes where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled.

16. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 operating in one of the first mode and a second mode of operation, wherein the bias conditioning circuit further comprises a bias switching transistor element comprising a first bias switching transistor element main node coupled to the intermediate node, a second bias switching transistor element main node coupled to the one of the at least one interconnection nodes where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled, and a bias switching transistor element control input adapted to:

when operating in the first mode, provide a low impedance path between the first bias switching transistor element main node and the second bias switching transistor element main node; and

when operating in the second mode, provide a high impedance path between the first bias switching transistor element main node and the second bias switching transistor element main node.

17. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the bias conditioning circuit further comprises a current source, wherein a current source input of the current source is coupled to the intermediate node and a current source output of the current source is coupled to the one of the at least one interconnection nodes where any two of the switching transistor elements are coupled.

18. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the first bias network further comprises a first resistive element, and the second bias network further comprises a second resistive element.

19. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the each transistor element further comprises a pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT).

20. The RF antenna switch of claim 1 wherein the antenna connection node is interchangeable with the radio connection node.