Silicon RF Switch With Low Oxygen Impurity for Harmonic Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional technologies for designing RF switches face challenges in achieving high linearity and reducing harmonic generation while operating in the RF frequency range, often requiring costly substrates like SOI or GaAs, which can lead to performance losses and integration difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A silicon-based RF switch with a low oxygen impurity concentration of less than 3×10^17 atoms per cm^3 is used, fabricated using CMOS technology, which suppresses higher harmonics and maintains low power attenuation and distortion, allowing efficient operation from 100 MHz to 60 GHz.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SOI technology is used to form active RF components over buried oxide regions, then parasitic influences of the substrate are reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the substrate parameter by using silicon-on-carrier with controlled oxygen impurity concentration (smaller than about 3×10^17 atoms per cm³) instead of traditional SOI buried oxide. This parameter change maintains low parasitic influences while enabling standard CMOS manufacturing processes, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional silicon substrates are used for RF switches, then manufacturing is easier, but thermal activation of donors occurs leading to performance losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter change by precisely controlling the oxygen impurity concentration in the silicon carrier to be smaller than about 3×10^17 atoms per cm³. This prevents thermal activation of donors during RF operation while maintaining compatibility with standard silicon processing, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and RF performance reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The silicon-based RF switch achieves high linearity, suppresses harmonic generation, and maintains low distortion across the RF frequency range, offering a cost-effective solution that integrates well with logic circuits, supporting various applications including wireless communication and radar systems.
Implementation Method 1
using CMOS technology, which reduces thermal activation of donors and maintains high electrical resistance
Data Source
AI summary
According to various embodiments, a switching device may include: an antenna terminal; a switch including a first switch terminal and a second switch terminal, the first switch terminal coupled to the antenna terminal, the switch including at least one transistor at least one of over or in a silicon region including an oxygen impurity concentration of smaller than about 3×1017 atoms per cm3; and a transceiver terminal coupled to the second switch terminal, wherein the transceiver terminal is at least one of configured to provide a signal received via the antenna terminal or configured to receive a signal to be transmitted via the antenna terminal.