Switch circuit for high frequency signals wherein distortion of the signals are suppressed

• US 7,915,946 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Numata, Keiichi, Takahashi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells; Kenneth B.
• Application Number:
  US12/301,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 327/427, 327/434, 333101-103
• US Class Current: 327/427
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/165 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• 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

A high-frequency switch circuit includes: a switch section comprised of a field effect transistor having a plurality of bias circuits and a potential generating circuit for generating bias voltages from a control signal and supplying them to the bias circuits. The field effect transistor forms the passage route of a high-frequency signal by turning on and off in accordance with the control signal. The bias circuits are provided to produce a potential difference between the drain terminal and the source terminal of the field effect transistor and to apply bias voltages lower than the voltage of the control signal to the drain terminal, and the source terminal.

Claims

1. A high-frequency switch circuit for, in accordance with a high-level control signal voltage, allowing a high-frequency signal to pass through or cutting off the high-frequency signal, the switch circuit comprising:

a switch section, including i) a field effect transistor configured to turn on and off in accordance with said high-level control signal voltage applied via a plurality of respective resistance elements, said switch section forming a passage route of said high-frequency signal, and ii) a plurality of bias circuits for applying different bias voltages that are lower than the high-level voltage of said control signal and that produce a potential difference between a drain terminal and a source terminal of said field effect transistor; and

a potential generating circuit for generating said bias voltages from said control signal voltage and supplying said bias voltages to said bias circuits.

2. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein

said switch section includes a plurality of serially connected field effect transistors that turn on and off in accordance with said control signal voltage applied via a plurality of respective said resistance elements and that form the passage route of said high-frequency signal, and

said bias circuits are each arranged so as to be connected to every junction where the drain terminal and the source terminal of said plurality of field effect transistors are connected.

3. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 2, wherein at least one bias circuit from among the bias circuits is disposed between a gate terminal of the field effect transistor and a junction.

4. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein

said switch section includes a plurality of the field effect transistors serially connected to each other configured to turn on and off in accordance with said control signal voltage applied via a plurality of said resistance elements, and

said bias circuits are respectively arranged at two junctions where one of a drain terminal and a source terminal are located, each of the two junctions being at opposite ends of the series of said plurality of field effect transistors where input/output terminals of said high-frequency signal are connected.

5. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein

said switch section includes a plurality of the field effect transistors serially connected to each other configured to turn on and off in accordance with said control signal voltage applied via a plurality of said resistance elements,

a first bias circuit is arranged at a junction where one of a drain terminal and a source terminal located at a first end of the series of said plurality of field effect transistors and where an input/output terminal of said high-frequency signal is connected, and

a second bias circuit is arranged between one of a drain terminal and a source terminal located at a second end of the series of field effect transistors and a gate terminal.

6. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a resistance element that is connected in parallel with the drain terminal and the source terminal of said field effect transistor.

7. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein said potential generating circuit includes a diode for supplying at least one bias voltage, from among the bias voltages, as a voltage in which a turn-on voltage of said diode is lower than the high-level voltage of said control signal.

8. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 7, wherein said potential generating circuit includes a plurality of resistance elements for voltage-dividing the output voltage via said diode to supply the at least one bias voltage.

9. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one bias circuit from among the bias circuits is a resistance element.

10. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one bias circuit from among the bias circuits is an inductance element.

11. The high-frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one bias circuit from among the bias circuits is a parallel circuit of a resistance element and an inductance element.

12. A high-frequency switch circuit, comprising:

two of the switch sections according to claim 1, the two switch sections sharing a high-frequency terminal through which said high-frequency signal is input and output; and

a potential generating section configured to supply at least one bias voltage, from among the bias voltages, to said two switch sections.

13. A high-frequency switch circuit, comprising:

four of the switch sections according to claim 1 connected in an annular form by sharing a high-frequency terminal through which said high-frequency signal is input and output; and

a potential generating circuit configured to supply at least one bias voltage, from among the bias voltages, to said four switch sections.