RF Small and large signal characterization of a 3D integrated GaN/RF-SOI SPST switch

Abstract

This paper presents the radio frequency (RF) measurements of an SPST switch realized in gallium nitride (GaN)/RF-SOI technology compared to its GaN/silicon (Si) equivalent. The samples are built with an innovative 3D heterogeneous integration technique. The RF switch transistors are GaN-based and the substrate is RF-SOI. The insertion loss obtained is below 0.4 dB up to 30 GHz while being 1 dB lower than its GaN/Si equivalent. This difference comes from the vertical capacitive coupling reduction of the transistor to the substrate. This reduction is estimated to 59% based on a RC network model fitted to S-parameters measurements. In large signal, the linearity study of the substrate through coplanar waveguide transmission line characterization shows the reduction of the average power level of H2 and H3 of 30 dB up to 38 dBm of input power. The large signal characterization of the SPST shows no compression up to 38 dBm and the H2 and H3 rejection levels at 38 dBm are respectively, 68 and 75 dBc.

Load Pull-Driven Behavioral Modelling of Microwave Switches for the Design of Tunable Reflective Terminations

“…Traditionally, MSs have been utilized solely for enabling signal propagation or blockage along specific pathways. However, they are increasingly being employed in the realization of switch-type phase shifters (STPS) [2][3], microwave attenuators [4][5], and the synthesis of variable impedances (e.g., voltage/current-dependent RF resistors, or within automatic calibration kits) [6][7][8]. This paper draws motivation from the latter, where the control of the reflection coefficient can be achieved through voltage manipulation of FET-based devices switching between various inductive and capacitive loads, as in Fig.…”

AlGaN/GaN Distributed Schottky Barrier Single-Pole Single-Throw Millimeter-Wave Switches

“…The shunt switching element is generally better suited for wide bandwidth operation than series one because when used directly in the transmission line, its parasitic capacitance is connected in parallel to the naturally present distributed capacitance of the transmission line and does not significantly harm the operation of the line. In contrast, the parasitic capacitance of the series element resides in the line discontinuity, where its presence has solely undesirable effects by reducing the isolation at high frequencies [13]- [15]. The shunt and series elements can also be combined in series-shunt topology to isolate inactive paths in multiple-throw switches without using quarter-wave transformers [16], [17].…”