Radio frequency switch with improved intermodulation distortion through use of feed forward capacitor

• US 8,008,988 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TriQuint Semiconductor Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Xiaomin, Meier, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Alan
• Application Number:
  US12/177,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 333/101, 333/103
• US Class Current: 333/101
• 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: H03K 2217/0054 Gating switches, e.g. pass gates

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) switch using a field effect transistor has 2^nd order intermodulation distortion improved through use of a feed forward capacitor electrically connected between the gate and a voltage coupler connected between the source and drain of the FET. With a control voltage provided at the gate through a gate feed resistor for operation of the FET, the feed forward capacitor feeds an RF voltage from the drain terminal and the source terminal to the gate terminal through the gate feed resistor.

Claims

1. A radio frequency switch comprising:

a field effect transistor (FET) having a drain terminal, a source terminal, and a gate terminal;

a resistor element network connected to the gate terminal, the resistor element network comprising at least two resistors including a gate resistor;

a control voltage source providing a DC bias voltage to the gate terminal for operation of the FET through the resistor element network;

a voltage divider electrically connected between the drain terminal and the source terminal; and

a dedicated feed forward capacitor electrically connected between the resistor element network connected to the gate terminal and the voltage divider, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor feeds a modified RF voltage from the drain terminal and the source terminal to the gate terminal through the gate resistor element network without affecting the DC bias voltage applied thereto.

2. A switch according to claim 1, wherein an RC constant of the dedicated feed forward capacitor and the resistor element network connected to the gate is optimized to ensure a proper charging and discharging thereof for allowing the modified RF voltage from the drain terminal and the source terminal to closely track an RF voltage delivered to the gate terminal.

3. A switch according to claim 1, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors in a series connection between the source terminal and the drain terminal, and wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor is connected between the first and second resistors.

4. A switch according to claim 1, wherein the FET is a single gate FET.

5. A switch according to claim 1, wherein the FET is a multi-gate FET.

6. A radio frequency (RF) switch comprising:

a field effect transistor (FET) having a drain terminal, a source terminal, and a gate terminal; and

a gate resistor connected to the gate terminal;

a dedicated feed forward capacitor electrically connected between the gate resistor and an electrical coupling of the drain and source terminals of the FET, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor feeds a modified RF voltage from the drain terminal and the source terminal to the gate terminal through the gate resistor without affecting a DC bias voltage applied thereto.

7. A switch according to claim 6, further comprising a control voltage source and resistor element network providing the DC bias voltage to the gate terminal for operation of the FET, the resistor element network including the gate resistor, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor feeds the modified RF voltage to the gate terminal from the electrical coupling through the gate resistor.

8. A switch according to claim 6, wherein the electrical coupling comprises a voltage divider electrically connected between the drain terminal and the source terminal.

9. A switch according to claim 8, wherein the voltage divider comprises first and second resistors in a series connection between the source terminal and the drain terminal, and wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor is connected between the first and second resistors.

10. A switch according to claim 6, wherein the FET is a single gate FET.

11. A switch according to claim 6, wherein the FET is a multi-gate FET.

12. A radio frequency (RF) switch comprising:

a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs), each having a drain terminal, a source terminal, and a gate terminal; and

a gate resistor connected to each gate terminal;

a dedicated feed forward capacitor electrically connected between the gate resistor of each of the plurality of FETs and an electrical coupling of the drain and source terminals for each of the plurality of FETs, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor feeds a modified RF voltage from at least one of the drain terminal and the source terminal of each of the plurality of FETs to the gate terminal through the gate resistor without affecting a DC bias voltage applied thereto.

13. A switch according to claim 12, further comprising a resistor connected between each of the drain terminals and source terminal for each of the plurality of FETs.

14. A switch according to claim 13, further comprising a gate biasing circuit and a control voltage source providing the DC bias voltage to the gate terminals through the gate biasing circuit and the gate resistor for operation of each of the plurality of FETs.

15. A switch according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of FETs is configured for a single pole double throw switching operation.

16. A switch according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of FETs comprises two switch throws with each switch throw including four FETs connected in series.

17. A switch according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of FETs is a single gate FET.

18. A switch according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of FETs is a multi-gate FET.

19. A radio frequency (RF) switch comprising:

a field effect transistor (FET) having a drain terminal, a source terminal, and a gate terminal;

a gate resistor connected to the gate terminal; and

a dedicated feed forward capacitor electrically connected between the gate resistor and at least one of the drain and source terminals, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor feeds a modified RF voltage from the at least one of the drain terminal and the source terminal to the gate terminal through the gate resistor without affecting a DC bias voltage applied thereto.

20. A switch according to claim 19, further comprising a voltage divider electrically connected between the drain terminal and the source terminal, wherein the dedicated feed forward capacitor is electrically connected to the voltage divider for selecting the modified RF voltage.