Non-linearity compensation in radio frequency switches and devices

• US 9,590,614 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Cebi, Haki, Altunkilic, Fikret
• Primary Examiner(s): HOUSTON, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US15/019,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 327/379, 327/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/77 Manufacture or treatment of devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components or integrated circuits formed in, or on, a common substrate electrically programmable read-only memories or multistep manufacturing processes therefor H10B69/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823475 interconnection or wiring or contact manufacturing related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0629 in combination with diodes, or resistors, or capacitors
• 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: H01L 28/75 comprising two or more layers, e.g. comprising a barrier layer and a metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/162 without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) switches and devices provide improved switching performance. An RF switch includes at least one field-effect transistor (FET) disposed between a first node and a second node, each of the at least one FET having a respective source, drain, gate, and body, and a compensation circuit connected to the respective drain of the at least one FET that compensates a non-linearity effect generated by the at least one FET.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency switch comprising:

at least one field-effect transistor disposed between a first node and a second node, each of the at least one field-effect transistor having a respective source, drain, gate, and body; and

a compensation circuit connected to the respective drain of the at least one field-effect transistor, the compensation circuit configured to compensate a non-linearity effect generated by the at least one field-effect transistor.

2. The switch of claim 1 wherein the at least one field-effect transistor is a silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistor.

3. The switch of claim 1 wherein the compensation circuit includes a non-linear capacitor connected at a first end to both the source of a first field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor and the drain of a second field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor, the non-linear capacitor further being connected at a second end to a ground reference.

4. The switch of claim 3 wherein the non-linear capacitor includes a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor.

5. The switch of claim 4 wherein the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor is configured to generate one or more harmonics to substantially cancel the non-linearity effect generated by the at least one field-effect transistor.

6. The switch of claim 5 wherein the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor includes a field-effect transistor structure.

7. The switch of claim 6 wherein the one or more harmonics generated by the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor is controlled at least in part by a body bias signal provided to the field-effect transistor structure of the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor.

8. The switch of claim 1 further comprising a gate bias circuit connected to and configured to provide a bias signal to the gate of the at least one field-effect-transistor.

9. The switch of claim 1 further comprising a body bias circuit connected to and configured to provide a bias signal to the body of the at least one field-effect-transistor.

10. The switch of claim 1 wherein the at least one field-effect transistor includes N field-effect transistors connected in series, the quantity N selected to allow the switch to handle a power level of an RF signal received at the first node.

11. A method for operating a radio-frequency (RF) switch, the method comprising:

controlling at least one field-effect transistor disposed between first and second nodes so that the at least one field-effect transistor is in an ON state or an OFF state; and

compensating a non-linear effect of the field-effect transistor by applying a non-linear signal to a source or a drain of the at least one field-effect transistor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said compensating the non-linear effect is performed using a non-linear capacitor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said compensating the non-linear effect involves generating one or more harmonics using the non-linear capacitor to substantially cancel the non-linearity effect generated by the at least one field-effect transistor.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising controlling the one or more harmonics at least in part by providing a body bias signal to the non-linear capacitor.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the non-linear capacitor is connected at a first end to a source of a first field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor and a drain of a second field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor, the non-linear capacitor further being connected at a second end to a ground reference.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a bias signal to a gate of the field-effect transistor.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a bias signal to a body of the field-effect transistor.

18. A wireless device comprising:

a transceiver configured to process radio-frequency signals;

an antenna in communication with the transceiver configured to facilitate transmission of an amplified radio-frequency signal;

a power amplifier connected to the transceiver and configured to generate the amplified radio-frequency signal; and

a switch connected to the antenna and the power amplifier and configured to selectively route the amplified radio-frequency signal to the antenna, the switch including at least one field-effect transistor, the switch further including a compensation circuit connected to a respective source or a respective drain of each of the at least one field-effect transistor, the compensation circuit configured to compensate a non-linearity effect generated by the at least one field-effect transistor.

19. The wireless device of claim 18 wherein the compensation circuit includes a non-linear capacitor connected at a first end to both the source of a first field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor and the drain of a second field-effect transistor of the at least one field-effect transistor, the non-linear capacitor being further connected at a second end to a ground reference.

20. The wireless device of claim 19 wherein the non-linear capacitor includes a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor including a field-effect transistor structure.