This paper reviews and analyzes four reported low-noise amplifier (LNA) design techniques applied to the cascode topology based on CMOS technology: classical noise matching, simultaneous noise and input matching (SNIM), power-constrained noise optimization, and power-constrained simultaneous noise and input matching (PCSNIM) techniques. Very simple and insightful sets of noise parameter expressions are newly introduced for the SNIM and PCSNIM techniques. Based on the noise parameter equations, this paper provides clear understanding of the design principles, fundamental limitations, and advantages of the four reported LNA design techniques so that the designers can get the overall LNA design perspective. As a demonstration for the proposed design principle of the PCSNIM technique, a very low-power folded-cascode LNA is implemented based on 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS technology for 900-MHz Zigbee applications. Measurement results show the noise figure of 1.35 dB, power gain of 12 dB, and input third-order intermodulation product of -4dBm while dissipating 1.6 mA from a 1.25-V supply (0.7 mA for the input NMOS transistor only). The overall behavior of the implemented LNA shows good agreement with theoretical predictions.

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CMOS low-noise amplifier design optimization techniques

This paper will summarize the technology tradeoffs that are involved in the implementation of radio frequency integrated circuits for wireless communications. Radio transceiver circuits have a very broad range of requirements-including noise figure, linearity, gain, phase noise, and power dissipation. The advantages and disadvantages of each of the competing technologies-Si CMOS and bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), Si/SiGe HBTs and GaAs MESFETs, PHEMTS and HBTs will be examined in light of these requirements.

Integrated circuit technology options for RFICs-present status and future directions

An RF switch circuit and method for switching RF signals that may be fabricated using common integrated circuit materials such as silicon, particularly using insulating substrate technologies. The RF switch includes switching and shunting transistor groupings to alternatively couple RF input signals to a common RF node, each controlled by a switching control voltage (SW) or its inverse (SW_), which are approximately symmetrical about ground. The transistor groupings each comprise one or more insulating gate FET transistors connected together in a “stacked” series channel configuration, which increases the breakdown voltage across the series connected transistors and improves RF switch compression. A fully integrated RF switch is described including control logic and a negative voltage generator with the RF switch elements. In one embodiment, the fully integrated RF switch includes an oscillator, a charge pump, CMOS logic circuitry, level-shifting and voltage divider circuits, and an RF buffer circuit.

Switch Circuit and Method of Switching Radio Frequency Signals

A method and apparatus for use in improving the linearity characteristics of MOSFET devices using an accumulated charge sink (ACS) are disclosed. The method and apparatus are adapted to remove, reduce, or otherwise control accumulated charge in SOI MOSFETs, thereby yielding improvements in FET performance characteristics. In one exemplary embodiment, a circuit having at least one SOI MOSFET is configured to operate in an accumulated charge regime. An accumulated charge sink, operatively coupled to the body of the SOI MOSFET, eliminates, removes or otherwise controls accumulated charge when the FET is operated in the accumulated charge regime, thereby reducing the nonlinearity of the parasitic off-state source-to-drain capacitance of the SOI MOSFET. In RF switch circuits implemented with the improved SOI MOSFET devices, harmonic and intermodulation distortion is reduced by removing or otherwise controlling the accumulated charge when the SOI MOSFET operates in an accumulated charge regime.

Method and apparatus for use in improving linearity of MOSFETs using an accumulated charge sink

A method and apparatus for use in a digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device is described. A Digitally Tuned Capacitor DTC is described which facilitates digitally controlling capacitance applied between a first and second terminal. In some embodiments, the first terminal comprises an RF+ terminal and the second terminal comprises an RF− terminal. In accordance with some embodiments, the DTCs comprise a plurality of sub-circuits ordered in significance from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB) sub-circuits, wherein the plurality of significant bit sub-circuits are coupled together in parallel, and wherein each sub-circuit has a first node coupled to the first RF terminal, and a second node coupled to the second RF terminal. The DTCs further include an input means for receiving a digital control word, wherein the digital control word comprises bits that are similarly ordered in significance from an LSB to an MSB.

Method and apparatus for use in digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device

In order to minimize the chip area and improve the linear characteristics obtained when large signals are inputted, a high frequency switch device comprises first, second and third terminals (3, 4, 6); a first circuit composed of a first FET (11), and a first inductor (21) and a first capacitor (25) both connected with the first FET (11) in parallel to each other, one end of the first circuit being connected to the first terminal (3); and a second circuit composed of a second FET (12), and a second inductor (22) and a second capacitor (26) both connected with the second FET (12) in parallel to each other, one end of the second circuit being connected to the first circuit and the other end of the second circuit being connected to the second terminal (4). Further, the high frequency switch device is characterized in that a first control signal is applied to a gate of the first FET (11) via a resistance (31); a second control signal is applied to a gate of the second FET (12) via a resistance (33); the third terminal (6) is connected to a common junction point of the first and second circuits; and a predetermined potential is applied to the common junction point.

High frequency switch device, front end unit and transceiver

A high frequency switching circuit is disclosed. The high frequency switching circuit is provided with first and second high frequency signal terminals, a control terminal, a field-effect transistor having a drain, a source and a gate. The field-effect transistor is connected between the first and the second high frequency signal terminals so as to switch a high frequency signal. The high frequency switching circuit is further provided with a variable resistance circuit which is connected between the gate of the field-effect transistor and the control terminal.

High frequency switching circuit

A high frequency switching device includes a control terminal, a power source terminal, a GND terminal, an RF terminal, a switch section, a control section, and protecting diodes The switch section switches input/output routes of an RF signal input from the RF terminal The control section controls the switching section, and is connected to the control terminal and the power source terminal The protecting diodes are provided between the control terminal and the RF terminal, between the control terminal and the GND terminal, and between the power source terminal and the GND terminal

High-frequency switching device incorporating an inverter circuit

A GaAs SPDT switch IC operating at a low power supply voltage of 2.7 V has been developed for use in Personal Handy-Phone System in the 1.9 GHz band. In combination with MESFETs with low on-resistance and high breakdown voltage, the resonant-type switch IC utilizes stacked FETs and an additional shunt capacitor at the receiver side in order to realize low insertion loss, high isolation and low distortion characteristics. An insertion loss of 0.55 dB and an isolation of 35.8 dB were obtained at 1.9 GHz. The IC also achieved a second order distortion of -54.3 dBc and an adjacent channel leakage power of -66 dBc at 600 kHz apart from 1.9 GHz at 19 dBm output power.

A novel resonant-type GaAs SPDT switch IC with low distortion characteristics for 1.9 GHz personal handy-phone system

A GaAs (gallium arsenide) semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells connected in a matrix form by employing a plurality of bit lines and of word lines, and of word line drivers. The memory device is operable under a single power supply. Transfer gates of the memory cells are normally-on type GaAs metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFET's). A parallel circuit including a Schottky diode and a switching GaAs-MESFET is interposed between commonly-connected sources of driver MESFET's of each of the memory cells and the ground line, so that a higher potential of the commonly-connected sources is clamped due to the clamping effect of the Schottky diode when the switching GaAs-MESFET is turned off.

Katsue Kawakyu

Papers

High frequency switch device, front end unit and transceiver

High frequency switching circuit

High-frequency switching device incorporating an inverter circuit

A novel resonant-type GaAs SPDT switch IC with low distortion characteristics for 1.9 GHz personal handy-phone system

Semiconductor memory device employing normally-on type GaAs-MESFET transfer gates