IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,203,396
Granted Patent B1
US 9,203,396 · App. 13/774,928 · Granted Dec 1, 2015

Radio frequency switch device with source-follower

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,203,396
App. No.
13/774,928
Granted
Dec 1, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

Embodiments provide a switching device including one or more cells. In embodiments, a cell may include a switch field-effect transistor (FET) and a source-follower FET, coupled between a gate and a body of the switch FET. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims (37)

1. A circuit configured to switch a radio-frequency (“RF”) signal, the circuit comprising:

a switch field-effect transistor (“FET”) including a source terminal, a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a body terminal; and

a source-follower FET coupled with and between the gate terminal and the body terminal, the source-follower FET configured to provide a negative bias voltage to the body terminal when the switch FET is off.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the source-follower FET includes:

a source terminal coupled with the body terminal of the switch FET;

a gate terminal coupled with the gate terminal of the switch FET; and

a drain terminal coupled with a voltage source.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the drain terminal of the source-follower FET is coupled with the voltage source through a first resistor.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the gate terminals of the switch FET and the source-follower FET are further coupled with the voltage source through a second resistor.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the source-follower FET is further configured to allow the body terminal to forward bias limit when the switch FET is on.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the source-follower FET is configured to provide a low impedance when the switch FET is off to provide the negative bias voltage to the body terminal.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the source-follower FET is configured to provide a high impedance to the body terminal when the switch FET is on.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of FETs, including the switch FET, coupled in series with one another.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switch FET is an n-channel FET and the source-follower FET is a p-channel FET.

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit comprises a silicon-on-insulator (“SOI”) circuit.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna; and

a radio frequency (“RF”) front-end coupled with the transceiver and the antenna and configured to communicate signals between the transceiver and the antenna, the radio frequency front-end including a silicon-on-insulator switch device that has:

a decoder configured to set individual switch field-effect transistors (“FETs”) in an off state or an on state; and

a cell with a switch field-effect transistor (“FET”) of the plurality of switch FETs and a source-follower FET, wherein the source-follower FET is coupled with and between a gate and a body of the switch FET of the cell and is configured to provide a negative body bias voltage to the body when the switch FET of the cell is in an off-state.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the source-follower FET includes:

a source coupled with the body of the switch FET;

a gate coupled with the gate of the switch FET; and

a drain coupled with the decoder.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the drain of the source-follower FET is coupled with the decoder through a first resistor.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the gates of the switch FET and the source-follower FET are further coupled with the decoder through a second resistor.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the switch FET is an n-channel FET and the source-follower FET is a p-channel FET.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein switching device comprises a silicon-on-insulator (“SOI”) circuit.

17. A method comprising:

controlling, with a decoder circuit, a switch field-effect transistor (“FET”) to be in an off state; and

providing, with a source-follower FET coupled between a gate and body of the switch FET, a negative bias voltage to the body while the switch FET is in the off state.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the source-follower FET is a p-channel FET and the switch FET is an n-channel FET.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

controlling, with the decoder circuit, the switch FET to be in an on state by providing a positive voltage at the gate of the switch FET; and

limiting forward biasing, with the source-follower FET, the body of the switch FET while the switch FET is in the on state.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: QORVO US, INC.
Reel/Frame 039050/0193 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2013
From: CLAUSEN, WILLIAM J.; FURINO, JAMES P., JR.
To: TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 029862/0374 →